What Dreams May Come
by scribeninja
Summary: AH-AU-OOC Sookie has been dreaming about an amazing man lately, a man so perfect that there is no chance he's real. But what if he is? And what happens when she meets him? Rated M for later chapters. E/S COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so this came from the word generator game on the Sookieverse forum. I got the word 'dream' first and this idea popped into my head. It's AH, and the M rating is for later chapters. Enjoy!

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What Dreams May Come

Chapter 1

I had just dropped something for the fifth time today. I really needed to get more rest. I just can't stop thinking about these dreams I've been having. They were simply miraculous. Every night for a month I had been dreaming about the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. And I had only seen him in my dreams. If I had seen a guy that perfect in real life I might have had a heart attack. They just came out of nowhere.

I remember exactly how the first dream started. I was taking a walk in the field of the home where I grew up, and out of the morning mist came the most perfect man I have ever laid eyes on. He was tall, very tall, and he had the most perfectly toned body, to my eyes anyway. He had beautiful, free flowing blonde hair that stopped just below his shoulders. But the best part about him was his amazingly clear, expressive, blue eyes. In that first dream he just walked up to me and smiled. Then I woke up, thinking, _Yup, just met the man of my dreams, and now I'm ruined for anyone else._

I never expected to see him in my dreams again. But the next night I was walking in the field again and when I came to the small pond there he was. Standing there staring out over the small expanse of water like it was the most peaceful thing he'd ever seen. It was the same way I looked at it. Then he turned and looked at me. It was almost like he was waiting and hoping I'd be there. He said, "Hello, my name is Eric." He gave me the best smile I have ever seen and held out his hand for me to take. Just as I grasped it…I woke up.

It continued like that every night for a month. Each dream we got to know each other a little better. He was amazing. It was like I was dating a guy in my sleep. And we were always in the field; sometimes by the pond, other times we were by the spring or the barn.

I began to feel like I was falling for him. He laughed at all my stupid jokes, and cared about what I had to say. In turn, everything he said was just as interesting. Even in my waking life I was falling for the guy. He was just so perfect. I was really beginning to like my dream world way better than the real world.

But on about the 20th dream or so, it ended when he kissed me. Then the next night we acted like love-struck awkward teenagers. Then for a few nights we made out under the stars. Conveniently, there was always a blanket when we would be sitting. (Gotta love the magic of dreams) It had steadily progressed until last night. I woke up just as we were about to seal the deal. If women got blue balls, then I definitely had them. Blue ovaries, maybe?

What scared me, though, was that I thoroughly looked forward to going to sleep each night. And tonight was no different. I'm a photographer, so I get to work from home a lot and I was going crazy seeing my bed every time I walked past my bedroom. I flew through my work and suddenly, I was stir crazy. Why the hell was I getting so worked up over a freaking dream? _Because he's amazingly perfect and you'll never find a guy like him._ I wonder if you can murder that little voice in your head…

I began to scrub every surface in my apartment. I couldn't stop thinking about him. About everything he'd told me about himself. He told me that he was from Sweden. He said he'd fallen in love back home, but the girl broke his heart. At the time he had an opportunity to come to America to work and took it. He's a writer, and started out working for a men's magazine in New York. He said he'd been writing a novel for quite some time and took it to a publisher. It was published and became a bestseller with lots of critical acclaim. He has since published two more novels. Oh man there I go…thinking about him like he's real…I really need to get a grip. I once caught myself glancing over the bestseller lists for his name before I realized how stupid that was.

As soon as the sun went down I allowed myself to go through my evening routine. When I decided it was late enough to go to bed, I practically ran there. I drifted off to sleep quickly, despite my nervous excitement. And when I got to my dream world, he wasn't there. At all. I didn't even dream I was in my field. What. The. Fuck. Needless to say when I woke up I definitely had the blue ovaries again.

That continued for another month. No field. No Eric. No amazing dream sex. Nothing but blue fucking ovaries.

It was an afternoon in the early spring when my boss called me.

"You need a vacation." She barked at me.

"Excuse me? Why on earth would you think that?" I knew I had been on edge lately, but I didn't think it was that bad. I just needed to relieve my…stress. Get a massage or something.

"Your work is starting to suffer. Your pictures don't have the same spark that they used to. I can tell that you have been stressed lately, and I don't want to know why. I'm not a counselor. But you need a vacation. You've been doing a massive amount of work lately and it's enough for you to take a paid vacation for a couple weeks. No arguing. You're doing it. And when you get back you're going to be right as rain. Got me?" It was less of a question and more of a demand.

"Yes," I grumbled. There really wasn't a point in arguing with her. She was a good boss, but a complete hard-ass.

"Good, now, I suggest you go somewhere that will get you back in touch with your roots. Got anywhere in mind?"

I pondered that for a moment. My field was the only thing I could think about. Should I really go there? What exactly was I expecting? That was where I first started taking pictures and I haven't been home in a few years. Why not?

"Yes, yes I do," I said and she replied with a quick, "good" and hung up.

I could have just stayed home and tried to get my mind back together, but she was right. My pictures had been lacking something lately. I sat down and booked my flight for the next day and then began packing. I made arrangements for my brother, Jason, to pick up my mail and told him to help himself to the food in my fridge. Jason had followed me to the city after he visited once and saw all the "trim" at the nightclubs. He got a job in construction and rented an apartment in the same building.

I called my mother and asked about the house. My parents were now retired and traveled all over the place in an RV and had bought a duplex and rented out one half for traveling money, but they kept up our old house and rented it out from time to time. She said they were renting it to a lovely young man at the moment, but she was sure he wouldn't have a problem with me coming out to the field to look around and take pictures. They were in northern California at the moment and weren't going to be back home for another month or so, so she offered their duplex for me to stay in.

As soon as I finished packing I became nervous. I knew I shouldn't be. I was just going home to rest and take some pictures. I knew he wouldn't be there. He wasn't real. I'd been telling myself that a lot lately. I finally calmed down enough to sleep and that night when I dreamed, I was in the field again and I was searching for Eric. I couldn't find him anywhere. It scared the crap out of me.

I felt disoriented the whole flight home. That last dream really threw me for a loop. I found as I got nearer to my destination, the more excited I became. I really needed to come home more often. The plane landed and I set about getting my rental car. Once I started driving, I started getting nervous again. My emotion changes were getting tiring.

I arrived at the duplex at about 3 in the afternoon. I lugged all my bags in and made up the hide-a-bed. There was no way I was sleeping in my parents' bed. They were still very frisky for their age. Yuck.

I was a little anxious to go and see the field. I was hoping it would look so different that it would push my dreams out of my mind. Or that seeing it would somehow solve all my problems. I flip-flopped with the decision until I finally made up my mind. Rip the band-aid off. I grabbed my camera and the rental car keys and drove 'home'.

When I got there it looked even better than I remembered. There was a car in the drive, an old muscle car. If I had my year right it was a '72 Nova. It was black and sleek as hell. I just might like this guy. I decided it would be best to introduce myself to him in case he called the cops or something because someone was snooping on the property. Believe me, you don't want to get caught up in the idiocy that is the law enforcement in this town.

I knocked on the door a few times and waited. About 20 seconds later it opened and my heart stopped and my jaw dropped. Standing in front of me was the most perfect man I had ever seen. We both spoke at the same time.

"Eric?!"

"Sookie?!"

What. The. Fuck.

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So quick shout-out to my buddies in Northman's Steam Room. You guys are all so amazing! I hope to see some DD, Professor, Playa, and all those other Eric's published soon.

Big thanks to Zigster for the title! You are a big source of inspiration and always make me strive to be better! Thank you so much for starting this whole SVM AH trend!

So anyway, I hope you enjoyed that. The next few chapters should come out pretty soon since I have some written already. Please review and let me know what you think!

P.S. This story has no connections at all to the book and movie of the same name.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all for the reviews and alerts! I'm glad everyone is enjoying it!

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Chapter 2

I have finally gone nuts. Completely batty. Off my rocker. My brain has melded my dream world and my real world. I closed my eyes tight and opened them again. Nope. Still there. Seriously? There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that my dream Eric is real. Then he spoke my name again. That voice. I finally locked eyes with him. Clear blue. Yup, I'm nuts. My brain had apparently had enough of this shit and suddenly I felt light-headed and dizzy and I collapsed. The last thing I registered was hearing my camera case hit the porch. Then it was all black.

I woke up in my bedroom. Well, my old bedroom. But it was still decorated the same. Mom kept most of the decorations the same. Only long-term tenants were allowed to change anything. She had always hoped that I would want to move back home one day so she wanted to keep things the same. I can't say I don't think about it. I could easily work through a computer and there were certainly enough things around here to take pictures of. Something always keeps me from doing it though. This town has certainly gone downhill since I was a kid. What the hell was I doing? Thinking about my town? Dream Eric is real! Well, maybe. Maybe it was a hallucination? _Why would you be hallucinating?_

Right about that time he walked in the room holding what looked like a wet washcloth. Damn. I was still on some sort of acid trip. He looked startled that I was awake. Then I suddenly remembered that he had known my name. I know my parents don't talk about us to the tenants. And they sure as heck didn't keep any pictures of us in this house. He looked as though he was trying to figure out if I was real too. I wonder if he was dreaming about me…no. Not possible. What are the chances that two people were having dreams about each other when they'd never met?

"Sookie?" he seemed to be asking if he was crazy.

"How do you know my name?" I asked. Some strong emotions crossed his face quickly and he briefly closed his eyes, almost like he was savoring the sound of my voice.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I asked you first," Childish, I know, but I sure as hell wasn't going to be the first to admit to being nuts.

"I dreamt about you…a lot." He began to make his way closer to the bed.

No freaking way! "Me too."

"How is this possible?"

"I have no idea." I really didn't. I was having some issues wrapping my mind around all this. Plus he had finally made it to the bed, and sat down next to me. He was staring at me intently. I was doing the same thing to him. It was like we were trying to find a flaw in the other that wasn't in our dreams. But I couldn't find one. He was exactly as he was in my dreams. All of a sudden I reached out and touched his face. I couldn't help it. I had to touch him. His eyes immediately closed and he leaned into my hand. It was like he was trying to commit it to memory.

It's real. This is really happening. The man I had dreams about for a month, the most perfect man in the world, is real. I quickly pulled my hand away and shot off of the bed. I think I startled him because he jumped up as well.

"You're real." _Wow, way to state the obvious dipshit. _

He smirked. "Yes, I am." Oh wow, that smirk is even better in real life. My knees went a bit weak.

Why wasn't he freaking out? "Why aren't you freaking out?" _Gee, thanks brain filter._

"Why should I? The girl of my dreams just walked into my real life. You are, quite literally, a dream come true."

Well, shit. "Well, shit." _Damn it! _Just about that time my stomach growled, loudly. I finally realized that it was dark outside. I hadn't eaten all day.

"How long was I out?"

"A couple of hours. Come on, I'll make us some supper." He reached out to take my hand and started up the hall.

Anything you say! "Alright." _Thank you brain filter! _

As we passed through the living room, I noticed a large thing lying on the couch. It was breathing. I stopped moving and felt my arm jerk a bit from Eric trying to continue on.

"You have a dog?" I asked. I love dogs. I can't have any pets in my apartment or I'd totally have one.

"Yeah, that's Ansel. He's a Mastiff." Eric explained. "He's harmless, just a big old softie. He sort of has this sloth thing going for him."

"Ansel. Any particular reason you named him that," I asked.

"I named him after Ansel Adams. The day I got him I was trying to decide on a name and I saw this picture that I really liked. The photographer's name was Ansel Adams and I thought that worked for him." Eric grinned at me. I was grinning like a fool.

_Yup he's officially the perfect man._ Ansel Adams is my idol. He's the most amazing photographer and really brought photography to the forefront as an acceptable career.

"I love Ansel Adams. He's amazing." I was still grinning and couldn't think of anything more intelligent to say.

Apparently Ansel the Mastiff heard his name a few times and woke up. It took him a second to realize that we were standing there before he jumped off the couch and came over to sniff me. He was huge! I didn't have to bend over at all to pet him. I gave him a scratch behind the ears and he seemed to approve of me before jumping back up on the couch and going back to sleep.

Eric laughed, "He likes you." My stomach growled again. "Lets get you some food."

I followed him out to my old kitchen. He had repainted it. How long was he going to be here? And why hadn't he changed the decorations in my old room? _Gee, why don't you ask him? _

He motioned for me to sit on a barstool at the island and began getting out ingredients. Eggs, milk, bacon. Oh man, he was making breakfast for supper! Yes! I never get up early enough for breakfast. I was never great at making it either. My omelets always came out like scrambled eggs.

As he began to cook, his movements mesmerized me. Cooking was something he never did in my dreams and I wanted to etch this in my memory in case I woke up tomorrow and this really was a big, elaborate dream. _You know it's not._ Definitely not. I touched him. It was different than in my dreams. I mean he still felt the same, but it was more real. _Duh, cause he is real. _A very comfortable silence came over us as he cooked and I watched him.

He set a plate in front of me and it was filled with the fluffiest scrambled eggs I had ever seen, some mouth-watering bacon, and a small pancake. He stood on the other side of the island with his plate and began eating, staring intently at me the entire time. I dug in and couldn't stop the moan that came from my mouth. This was the best breakfast I had ever tasted. I looked up at him and noticed that he had stopped eating and was still staring at me.

"What? Did I get something on me?" I asked as I looked down at my shirt checking for food.

"No, you just really seem to be enjoying it and I was enjoying you enjoying it." He looked uncomfortable for a split second. I wondered if his brain filter was taking a holiday too.

"It's delicious." He resumed eating then, and I followed. A few minutes later we were both done and I was at a loss for what to do next. How do you have this conversation? So you're crazy like me, did your last dream end with us almost having sex?

He took my plate and rinsed it off before putting it in the dishwasher. Then we were staring at each other again. But it didn't feel awkward at all. I felt so comfortable with him.

"Do you trust me," he asked…

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There you go! Hope you enjoyed it!

Thanks go to Zigs again for the dog. Mastiff's are huge! Which only fits Eric. They are described as being a combination of dignity and courage; calm and affectionate to their master, but capable of protection. FYI, Fang in Harry Potter and The Beast in The Sandlot are Mastiffs. And now I want one.

Reviews are love...Mwah!


	3. Chapter 3

And here it is, the answer to the question. I'll let you read now, but I have some stuff to say at the end, kay?

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Chapter 3

"Do you trust me," he asked…

"Yes." I answered without even thinking. He seemed pleased, yet surprised. Even I was surprised by the quickness of my answer. But I believed myself 100%.

"I have something that I want to show you. Do you have a jacket?"

I nodded, "Yes, in my car."

"Well, lets go get it." And with that he walked over to a drawer and took out a flashlight. He took my hand in his and pulled me off the barstool. On our way to the front door he grabbed what I assumed was his own jacket. We passed a still sleeping Ansel on our way to the front door and he didn't even stir. He really must be a lazy dog. Before we stepped outside he flipped on the front porch light.

Eric held my hand all the way out to my car and only dropped it when I had to reach in to get my jacket. He really seemed to like to hold my hand. Not that I'm complaining. It feels very intimate with him. He took the opportunity to put his own on. I pulled mine on and shut the car door. I was really excited to see what he had to show me. Just as he picked my hand up again and smiled at me I heard a voice I was hoping I would never have to hear again as long as I lived.

"Sookie Stackhouse?! I can't believe it! How the heck are ya?"

I inwardly cringed as I saw him walk towards us. "Hello, Bill."

Bill Compton was my neighbor. He's lived across the street from me since we were kids. He was also my first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first…well…you know…He's redneck through and through. The boy grew up with his father and brother and they each had their own truck and four-wheeler. His favorite pastime was showing me the insides of fish he had caught and explaining how to properly butcher a deer. I really wonder sometimes why I ever liked him.

We were together from 6th grade, when it was all about being able to say you had a boyfriend, until after we graduated high school. I only stayed with him that long because I thought I would always be stuck here. I wanted someone that I knew would never leave. I know that was selfish of me and sometimes I hate myself for it. I loved the whole boy-next-door quality to it, but I never loved him.

It didn't hurt at all when we broke up, for me. Bill, on the other hand, cried like a freaking baby. I couldn't believe he was actually crying. He kept telling me he loved me. I felt horrible that he was reacting this way, but I just couldn't do it. Sometimes you just have to do what's best for you, in the long run. If I had stayed with him I would have been unhappy. That would have made me resent him. I couldn't do that. Everyone, even Bill Compton, deserves someone that will love them back.

Bill called and bugged me relentlessly for 6 months before he finally started whoring around with some backwater tramps and got an STD. He was always too stupid to put on a condom properly by himself.

"What the heck are you doin' back in town? Did ya miss me that much?" He laughed like he just told the funniest joke in the world.

"I'm on a vacation and I'm only back for a few weeks, so don't get your hopes up," I said firmly. You couldn't even smile politely at this man without him thinking that you wanted to get in his pants.

"You're not stayin' here are ya? This dude's rentin' it out." _Way to state the obvious there Bill._

"No, I'm not staying here." And I felt a twinge of sadness at that fact. But there was no way in hell I was telling him where I was actually staying. I wouldn't be able to get away from him.

Eric had been quiet this whole time. I ventured to look up at him and he was staring Bill down with something akin to loathing. Even if I had never had dreams about Eric and was basing my opinion on the short amount of time I have actually known him, I would definitely say that Eric and Bill wouldn't get along.

I finally started to wonder how exactly Eric had ended up here is this shit little town in the middle of Missouri. Don't get me wrong; I was extremely glad that he had found my little corner of paradise. But how does one go from living in Sweden, then New York, to a pothole in the Mid-West? I filed it away for later.

Bill finally seemed to notice that Eric and I were holding hands. His eyes grew wide and he looked at Eric with an equal amount of loathing. I couldn't help myself and smirked a bit.

"You, uh, with this guy Sooks," Bill asked. I couldn't believe he actually just asked that. Before I had a chance to respond, Eric did for me.

"As a matter of fact she is. We were just about to go for a walk so if you don't mind, we'll just be on our way." With that Eric gave Bill a look that said, 'Just leave and I won't have to hurt you'.

Bill tried to look menacingly at Eric, then turned to look at me and said, "I'll see you soon Sookie. I'm glad you're back."

"Goodnight, Bill." I said as flatly as I could. It was hard because when Eric said I was 'with' him my heart started beating quickly and I got butterflies in my stomach.

Once Bill had gone back into his house, Eric turned to me with a warm, excited smile, "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be. You going to tell me what you want to show me?"

"No," he said still grinning, "though I think you'll figure it out soon enough."

"If you say so." Eric turned towards the field and turned on the flashlight. With my hand still firmly gripped by his we began walking.

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Satisfied? Expecting a talk? Well, that's coming. Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but that's just where it naturally ended for me. The next chapter is much longer. I already have it written. I'm going to try not to update until I have the chapter after written. It actually gives me some motivation to get the next one done faster.

I want to thank everyone for their reviews! They are a kind of crack all their own and make me very happy!

Okay, that's about it. Thank you for reading and I hope you are still enjoying it!


	4. Chapter 4

Okay so, we're switching to Eric POV on this one. It's kinda long.

Big thanks to FDM for betaing this for me! You deserve a swedish masage for it! *hugs*

Here we go...

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Chapter 4

I have never been one to dream, let alone dream vividly. So it was definitely a shock when every night for a month, I dreamt of the most perfect woman I have ever seen. She came walking out of the morning mist in the field of the property I'm renting. She has long blonde hair the same shade as mine, luscious curves in all the right places, the most perfect pair of breasts I have ever seen, and my favorite thing? Her eyes. Yes, I liked them more than her breasts. I may be a guy, but if you saw her eyes you would totally understand. They were the kind of eyes that show you the person's soul. They were the kind of eyes that told you if a person was being sincere. I wanted to know her instantly. When I woke up I felt like any other girl was ruined for me. No one would ever be as attractive to me as this dream girl.

The next night in my dream I told her my name, and then woke up. I was surprised that I had even dreamt of her again. I tried to shrug it off, but there was something about her that made my thoughts drift to her all day. That night she told me her name, Sookie, and we started talking. It continued like that for almost the rest of the month.

She would tell me about her life, that she lives in the city, but loves it in a small town. She said her passion was photography. She lived in a small town all her life, until the right person saw her portfolio. She got a job working for a publication, and moved to the city. That's all I really knew about her personal life, other than stories she would tell me about her childhood. The rest of the time we talked about all sorts of different things. Movies, books, music, aspirations, stuff like that. And it was easy with her in a way that it never had been with anyone else. I laughed at her jokes, and she actually seemed interested in what I had to say. I don't get that a lot. Most girls, especially around here, just want to have their way with me. I can't say I blame them. I am quite different than the rednecks they are used to. I just wish they were Sookie. I just wish I could say that she was real. But she's not. I really need to stop thinking of her that way.

I told her about how I had ended up in America. I'd never told anyone about the girl that broke my heart before. There was just something about Sookie that made me trust her completely, and I knew that she wouldn't judge me. She was perfect.

About the 20th dream of the month I decided to go for it and kissed my dream girl. It was amazing. She was a really, really, ridiculously good kisser. I don't know what took me so long. Unfortunately, the dream ended there and in my waking life I became nervous to see her again. It was like I was a teenager again and I had just kissed my new girlfriend goodnight, and was hoping that she still wanted to see me. She was back that night and I was relieved to see that she was acting like an awkward teen too. As soon as she saw me she blushed and giggled. We held hands, and walked around for a while, before we finally gave in and ended up making out under the stars. And that's how it went for the next few nights. No talking, just macking like crazy. She was an amazing kisser, and she felt so good under my hands. And the noises she would make when I kissed her neck…lets just say I got used to waking up with wood.

Then came the dream I was looking the most forward to. We were about to hit home plate when it just ended. I woke up with the most painful hard-on I'd ever had. The first thing out of my mouth was, "Fuck!" _No that's what you were about to do._ Seriously, if that little voice had an embodiment I would have had my hands around its neck.

I'm a writer and since I'd been having my Sookie dreams, I had been struck with inspiration. I pretty much wrote non-stop while I was awake, taking breaks only to eat, use the bathroom, take care of Ansel, and think about Sookie. Today I couldn't write at all. I was anticipating tonight's dream too much.

I found myself wondering about her. I almost looked her up online once before I realized how absurd that was. That day was the hardest. I wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and be with Sookie. I was falling for her. I was falling hard. I've been in love only once before and that girl tore my heart out, but with Sookie it seemed different. I trusted her completely. I haven't wanted to fall in love again, to take that risk, but with Sookie I found myself wanting to give her my heart. She was worth the risk. And now I sound like a lovesick pansy. Over a girl that's not even real. Get a grip.

When I finally deemed it late enough to go to sleep I practically ran to the bedroom. I fell asleep almost instantly. I was back home in Sweden. I was a kid. Where the fuck is the field? Where the fuck is Sookie? Why the fuck aren't we….shit. I was expecting to wake up feeling extremely satisfied. What I got was blue balls. I needed relief, but I was too frustrated to take care of it right now.

Why the hell didn't I dream about her? The more I thought about it the more I became upset. Not that I didn't get…relief…but that she wasn't there. Just one night without her and I missed her. What the hell is wrong with me? She's not real. I'm going crazy. The Sookie-less dreams continued and I was quickly losing my inspiration.

After about two weeks of that shit I decided to take a walk in the field, hoping it would trigger something and cause me to dream about her again. I took Ansel with me. It took some pushing but I finally got the damn dog out of the house. He's so lazy.

I went to all the spots we talked at. I sat by the pond, went to the spot where we first kissed. It seemed so real. I couldn't shake it. That's when I saw it.

It was the spot that she told me held her favorite view in the whole field. It was a tree on the pond bank, and when you stood next to it and looked out over the water everything was framed by the surrounding trees. When she told me this in my dream I told her we had to mark it. Somehow I had a pocketknife with me and I walked up to the tree trunk and carved a big 'S'. It was corny, but it was the first thing that came to me. She laughed and took the knife from me. Then she proceeded to carve a '+' and a big 'E'. It was very corny, but it was also very us. She said, "There, now it's ours." That was where that dream had ended.

I stood there and looked at that tree trunk and couldn't believe my eyes. I had to be hallucinating. I shut them tightly and opened them again. It was really there. The corny 'S+E' carved into the tree. "What the fuck!" I reached out and touched the letters. My fingers followed the curves of the S that I had carved in my dream.

That's when I knew. She was real. She had to be. I can't explain the dreams, or how something from them managed to work it's way into the real world, but it happened. With my newfound resolve I walked back up to the house with Ansel, got him some food and sat down to start writing.

For the next several nights I still didn't dream about Sookie. But every day I would go back to that tree and stare at the carvings. By the end of the month I was starting to lose hope and think that I really was crazy, but something kept me from doubting myself. If this could happen, then Sookie could be real. I still kept myself from looking her up on the Internet. I was too afraid that I wouldn't be able to find her, which would just serve to frustrate me more.

I was sitting at my computer, writing, when I heard a knock on the door. Who the hell could that be? No one in this town bothers to try to talk to me. I walked to the door and when I opened it my heart stopped all together, then started beating really fast. Standing in front of me with her jaw to the floor was the most perfect woman I had ever seen. We both started talking at the same time.

"Sookie?!"

"Eric?!"

Holy shit! She knows my name! She's real! I watched as she closed her eyes tight and opened them again, much the same way I had done with the carvings on the tree. I said her name again and she locked eyes with me. It was confirmed for me then. Those beautiful, soul-bearing, blue eyes were staring into mine. She looked extremely overwhelmed and began to lose her balance. Yeah, she was gonna faint. As she started to collapse my brain kicked back in gear; and I swiftly caught her upper body and swept an arm under her legs. She smelled amazing. She felt amazing. She was real. I couldn't contain my smile as I carried her into the house and back to my bedroom.

I laid her down on the bed and softly brushed the hair out of her face. She looked exactly the same. I think I sat there and stared at her, and listened to her breathe, for almost an hour before Ansel started barking. I snapped out of my daze and took him outside so he could do his business. There was a car parked in the drive. It was a rental car. I wondered where she came from and why she ended up here. I saw her camera case sitting on the porch. She must have dropped it when she fainted. Why had she brought her camera with her? Was this place familiar to her? Unless…this was her childhood home. I can't believe I never put two and two together. She talked about loving the field, growing up in a small town, but she never specifically said, "This is where I grew up". And she looked just as shocked to see me. It was all coming together. She was obviously having the same dreams. But, to her, I was just a guy visiting her in her dreams. She didn't need to explain that this was her home.

I looked across the street and saw Bill Compton getting into his loud ass truck and turn on his loud ass country music. Then that piece clicked. When I first moved here Bill had come over to say hello and immediately started bragging about some chick that used to live here that he dated. He said they were high school sweethearts, and that when they graduated he broke up with her. He wanted to move on to better pussy. Yes, that's actually what he said. He said they grew up across the street from each other, and from the way he talked about this girl; I doubted that he was the one that did the breaking. It was also pretty obvious that he was still in love with her. Would Sookie actually date this guy? Maybe if she thought he was her only option. She had told me that she had never been in love. If she dated this guy, I definitely believed her.

The sun was starting to go down when Ansel had finally come back from his excursion so I took him back inside. I got him a treat and went back to peek in on Sookie. She was still out. I decided to get a washcloth and wet it down to put on the back of her neck. I don't know how that was supposed to wake her up faster, but it would give me a reason to touch her hair again. As I was walked back into the room I found her sitting up in the bed looking thoroughly confused. I didn't expect her to be awake. She still looked completely shocked that I was standing in front of her. Hell, I was still a bit shocked as well. Maybe we were both crazy.

"Sookie?" I asked again. I needed to hear her speak.

"How did you know my name?" she asked. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sound of her voice…Sookie's voice. I was happy, relieved, scared, among other things.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I asked you first." So she didn't want to be the first to admit it. I could deal with that.

"I dreamt about you…a lot." I had begun to walk towards the bed discarding the washcloth in the hamper on my way.

"Me too."

"How is this possible?" I asked. I was still trying to wrap my mind around the how.

"I have no idea."

I stared at her intently. I was trying to find some flaw in her eyes, something that separated her from the girl in my dreams. But she was exactly the same. Perfect. Suddenly she reached out and touched my face, her palm on my cheek. I closed my eyes and pressed into her hand a bit, savoring the contact, committing it to memory. Then, just as quick as it had happened, her hand was gone and she was shooting off the bed. I already ached to have her touch me again.

"You're real." She seemed to finally be accepting this.

I gave her my irresistible smirk. "Yes, I am."

"Why aren't you freaking out?" I wanted to laugh. She seemed to be saying exactly what she was thinking because she cringed for a split second.

"Why should I? The girl of my dreams just walked into my real life. You are, quite literally, a dream come true." It was the truth.

"Well, shit." There went that cringe again. Then I heard her stomach growl, loudly. "How long was I out," she asked.

"A couple of hours. Come on I'll make us some supper." I reached out and took her hand. I needed to be touching her.

"Alright."

As we were making out way through the living room she stopped while I kept moving, and I almost fell backwards.

"You have a dog?" she asked. So she likes dogs.

"Yeah, that's Ansel. He's a Mastiff." I explained. "He's harmless, just a big old softie. He sort of has this sloth thing going for him."

"Ansel. Any particular reason you named him that," she asked.

"I named him after Ansel Adams. The day I got him I was trying to decide on a name and I saw this picture that I really liked. The photographer's name was Ansel Adams and I thought that worked for him." I grinned at me. She was grinning back.

"I love Ansel Adams. He's amazing." She was still grinning her big, genuine smile.

Ansel had apparently heard his name a few times and decided to see who the new person was. He jumped off the couch and came over to sniff Sookie. She scratched him behind the ears and he gave her a once over before deeming her harmless, and jumping back up on the couch and falling back asleep.

I laughed, "He likes you." Her stomach growled again. "Let's get you some food."

We made it out to the kitchen, and I motioned for her to sit on a barstool and started to get out the things I'd need. Eggs, milk, bacon. That's right, I was making her breakfast food. Who doesn't like breakfast food? And, there's something to be said for eating breakfast with someone you care about. It's connected to all that waking up with each other stuff. It was a comfortable silence as I cooked and she watched me. I would sneak a glance at her every now and then and she seemed mesmerized, watching every move I made.

I finished everything and set a plate in front of her. I watched as her eyes took in the food in front of her. Hell yeah, I could cook. I was told once that a man that could cook was sexy as hell. I took that to heart. I stood on the other side of the island with my plate and began eating while watching her. As she took a bite of her bacon she moaned. Oh sweet Jesus, she moaned. I immediately felt my jeans strain a bit. She looked up at me and I realized that I had stopped eating.

"What? Did I get something on me?" She asked as she looked down at her shirt checking for food.

"No, you just really seem to be enjoying it and I was enjoying you enjoying it." Fuck. Did I really just say that? Is my brain filter not working?

"It's delicious," she said. I resumed eating and she did as well. A few minutes later we were both done. I took her plate, and rinsed it off before placing it in the dishwasher. I hated doing dishes. Then we were staring at each other again. Suddenly I had an idea.

"Do you trust me?" I asked.

"Yes," was her immediate response. I was surprised that she answered that quickly, but pleased nonetheless.

"I have something that I want to show you. Do you have a jacket?"

She nodded, "Yes, in my car."

"Well, let's go get it." And with that I grabbed a flashlight and took her hand in mine and pulled her off the barstool. On our way to the front door I grabbed my own jacket. We passed a still sleeping Ansel on our way. Lazy ass dog. Before we stepped outside, I flipped on the front porch light.

I held her hand all the way out to her car, and only dropped it when she had to reach in to retrieve her jacket. I loved holding her hand. There was something very intimate about it. I took the opportunity to pull my jacket on. She did the same, and shut the car door. Just as I picked her hand up again, and gave her a smile, I heard the last freaking person I wanted to hear.

"Sookie Stackhouse?! I can't believe it! How the heck are ya?"

She immediately tensed up. "Hello, Bill."

"What the heck are you doin' back in town? Did ya miss me that much?" He laughed like he just told the funniest joke in the world. Idiot.

"I'm on a vacation and I'm only back for a few weeks, so don't get your hopes up," She said decisively. A few weeks? It's not enough.

"You're not stayin' here are ya? This dude's rentin' it out." _Give the boy a ribbon he figured it out. _

"No, I'm not staying here." I felt a twinge of sadness at that fact. She sounded sad saying it too.

During this whole exchange I had been staring Bill down, hoping he would take the freaking hint. The idiot finally seemed to notice that I was holding her hand. His eyes went wide and he tried to stare me down. It didn't work.

"You, uh, with this guy Sooks," Bill asked. What a dumbass. I finally spoke up.

"As a matter of fact she is. We were just about to go for a walk so if you don't mind, we'll just be on our way." With that I gave Bill a look that said, 'Just leave and I won't have to hurt you'.

Bill tried to look menacingly at me, again it didn't work, then turned to Sookie and said, "I'll see you soon Sookie. I'm glad you're back." The hell if he will.

"Goodnight, Bill." She tried to say flatly. I think she enjoyed it when I said she was 'with' me. I know I sure as hell did, and I was being completely honest. In my opinion she is; if she'll have me. For the first time I found that I was scared that someone actually wouldn't want me.

Once Bill had gone back into his house, I turned to her with an excited smile, "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be. You going to tell me what you want to show me?"

"No," I said grinning, "though I think you'll figure it out soon enough."

"If you say so." I turned towards the field and turned on the flashlight. Still holding her hand tightly, we turned towards the field, and began walking.

*****

Okay! How was that? Everybody like Eric? I sure do...*sigh*

I want to thank everyone who leaves me reviews. They are amazing and so are you! I want to pass out GP sized pancakes to all of you!

Quick shout out to Ziggy and Dans! It's their B-day today! Happy Birthday!

Another quick shout out to the amazing girls in Northman's Steam Room. You guys are hilarious and amazing and certainly keep the steam room steamy!

Thank you so much for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, here we go, back in SPOV.

*hugs and kisses to FDM for betaing*

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Chapter 5

As we walked hand in hand into the field in the dark, with only a flashlight showing us the way, I found that I couldn't keep quiet. I decided to start asking some questions and hoped that he wouldn't get annoyed with my nervous habit.

"When did you start having your dreams?" I asked timidly. I heard a chuckle from him.

"About two months ago," he said. Then he described his first two dreams, and they were exactly like mine. "Sound familiar?" He asked.

"Very familiar. How much do you remember about them?" I asked. I remembered mine so vividly, like memories.

"I remember every single detail. Every look. Every conversation. Every touch. Every kiss," He said this in a husky voice, and boy did I want to jump him right then and there. "I remember how you felt, how you made me feel. Do you remember them that well?"

"Yes, I…they…they're like memories." I found it hard to try to explain. "Every emotion I felt is ingrained in my head. I feel like I know you already. I mean, we just physically met, but it already feels like we've been together for years."

"I know exactly what you mean."

"But how? How did we have dreams about each other, together, at the same time? The exact same dreams. How is that possible?" I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. It was like some sort of freaky twilight zone thing.

"I don't know how, but I don't know if I want to question it." Well, color me confused.

"You don't want to know how this happened?" I asked.

"Of course I do, but I think you'll understand in a minute." Okay, I was getting a bit frustrated. What the hell did he want to show me? "How long are you here for?" He was changing the subject. I think whatever he had to show me was going to affect that particular conversation, so I went with it. I trust him.

"3 weeks." I said, and it sounded downright depressing. I just found the man of my dreams, literally, and I only get 3 weeks with him? It is a long time, but it's just not long enough. I felt selfish. I need to look at the bright side. I just found the man of my dreams and I get to spend 3 weeks with him! _You sound crazy again._

"Then I guess we'll have to make the most of them and stay _busy_ while you're here," Oh shit. This is going to be so fun! I started thinking about all the things around here that I wanted to show him. I mean, of course, I wanted to have a more sexual type of fun too, but that wasn't all we were about. I didn't want to be with him just for that. He's real, and I want him to see the real me. I just hope that he wants to show me the real him as well.

We were now walking up behind the pond on the bank that was lined with trees. The thorn trees were my favorites. They looked so scary, yet so beautiful at the same time. He led me over to the spot that I told him held my favorite view. We stood there hand in hand and he remained silent.

"I'm confused." I said. And I was. Why did he bring me here? It wasn't much to look at in the dark, though the stars reflected in the water gave it a nice atmosphere.

He turned me to him so that I could see a bit of his face from the illumination from the flashlight and asked, "Do you remember the dream when you told me about this spot? Do you remember what we did?"

I smiled. That was one of my favorites. It was corny, but perfect. "You told me we had to mark it, then carved an 'S' in that tr…" That's when I saw it. I had turned my head while gesturing to the tree and there was just enough artificial light to see that there was something on the tree. No freaking way.

I took the flashlight from his hand and stepped closer to the tree, dropping his other hand in the process. I shone the light on the spot and there it was. A big carved 'S+E' in the middle of the tree trunk. I moved closer to inspect it. Surely, he could have just carved it after the dream, right? Then I saw the little mark I had made while carving the 'E'. When I was bringing the knife down I slipped my hand a bit and caused the 'E' to have a little tail. There was no way he could have replicated that so perfectly. I don't think he even saw me do it.

_Holy shit! _"Holy shit!" For once I didn't care that my brain filter wasn't working. I reached up and ran my fingers over the letters. They were really there. How in the hell did this happen? How is this possible? Two people, a thousand miles apart, had the exact same dreams at the exact same time. Then something they did in their dreams worms its way through to real life. Not possible. But it happened.

Eric is right. I want to know. I want to know exactly how this happened. Who wouldn't? But I don't want to question it at all. It happened, and now I'm here. I'm with the man of my dreams and I couldn't be happier about it. So why question it. We've been given an amazing gift. We should take what we can get, and hold onto it for as long as we can. That's exactly what I planned to do.

I have no idea how long I stood there with my mouth open, while having my epiphany, but Eric had come to stand beside me.

"Now do you understand?" he asked gently as he laced his fingers through mine.

"Yes," I said, and I did.

We stood there, hand in hand, for a good five minutes, just staring at the carvings. We were letting all of it sink in. Eric turned to me and I automatically turned towards him. From what I could see of his face he looked as though he wanted to say something, but before he could, the flashlight died and I let out a little squeak and held onto his hand tighter.

"Damn it." I heard Eric say. I tapped the flashlight against my leg and it flickered a couple times and died again. I heard an owl hoot and squeaked again. Eric chuckled.

"Afraid of the dark?" he asked.

"No!" I was most certainly not afraid of the dark. The critters in the dark, however, I was very afraid of. "When I was a kid there was a bobcat down here. I wouldn't come down here at night for a long time."

"Well that thing that just hooted, that was an owl, and you don't need to be afraid of it," he teased.

"Gee, thanks. There are other things down here you know. Like snakes and spiders, oh and there used to be a fox too. And bugs…I need a shower." Oh great. Now I've done it. I rambled on and on then had to say something suggestive.

"Well, we can certainly take care of that." He was talking with that deep husky voice again. Then he leaned down and kissed my neck just below my ear. Shit. He knew I loved that. I couldn't help it. A moan escaped my lips. Then I tried to cover it with a cough. Lame, I know but I was totally trying to get out of this. He's ridiculously good-looking and I'm sure I would have the time of my life, but I was just plain exhausted. And if he was going to behave like he did in our dreams, then I was going to need a lot of energy. I definitely wanted to be an active participant.

He laughed, "Let's try and find our way out of here."

This was going to be difficult. If there had been a full moon it wouldn't be that bad, but it was really dark and the bank behind the pond is only wide enough for a four-wheeler and has a steep slope on the other side. Step wrong on some mud and you were going down. Then there were the thorn trees and plants. Those damn thorns grow to about 3 inches on the trees. I got poked with one once, it freaking hurt.

Eric got in front of me, his right hand gripped mine behind his back and I held on to his shirt. He moved slowly watching where his feet went. He stopped a couple of times to step on a thorn covered branch in the path to hold it down and let me pass over it, before he would get back in front of me again. We finally made it to the opening at the end and I breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing but open field all the way back to the house. Then I heard distinctive slithering and, immediately squeaked again and grabbed Eric's arm. He chuckled once more and looked around for the source of the noise. We heard a little splash and I immediately started moving toward the house.

He was full on laughing now. "It was probably just a garter snake."

"It could have been a water moccasin!" I was trying to get away from there as fast as possible, but he was hard to pull and I definitely wasn't going to drop his hand.

"Snakes don't bite much higher than the ankle, maybe I should just carry you," he suggested. I stopped moving immediately. Oh that sounded nice. To be cradled in his arms, all warm and…no I was trying to avoid that. But I did stop and he took that as invitation enough. He immediately swept me up in his arms, one hand under my knees, the other around my torso.

"Eric! I can walk!"

"But this is so much better. You don't have to worry about snake bites now." He was smirking.

I thought about fighting it, I could kick and yell all I wanted, but he was very strong and it wouldn't have gotten me anywhere. So I just enjoyed it. I wrapped my arms around his neck and laid my head on his shoulder. I was quite tired. Eric placed a light kiss on my forehead and it made me close my eyes. I heard him smell my hair. I think he even let out a light moan, I can't be sure because by the time we got back up to the house, I had fallen asleep.

*******

I want to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews! They make my day!

I was also concerned that you might be imagining this field as a big wheat field with a pond in the middle or something, so I thought I'd share some visuals with you! Cause it's very real, I swear. If you go to my profile, I've posted a few links for you. One has a picture of Sookie's favorite view, one of a thorn tree, and the other is the link to my photography blog with a whole bunch of pictures taken in the field. I thought it might help to see what they are seeing, in a way.

Okay, that all from me! Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Okay! We're back with an Eric POV. Yay! The first bit is just his POV of what happened in the last chapter, but the end has some extra tacked on.

Thanks again, to FDM my amazing beta! She fixes all my stupid mistakes so you don't have to read them. If you haven't read her fic, Chasing the Light, you should. It's amazing.

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Chapter 6

I was walking hand in hand with my dream girl, into the magical field, to show her some freaky twilight zone shit, and I wasn't dreaming. This was awesome!

I could tell she was nervous. She kept taking breaths like she was going to say something, and then stopped. It was quite amusing, and fucking cute. She finally spoke and asked me when my dreams started. I couldn't help it and let out a chuckle.

I described my first two dreams to her, feeling confident that hers were the same. She confirmed that, and then asked how much I remembered about them. I thought about that for a second. I remembered everything, and I mean everything. Feelings, looks, conversations, touches, I even remembered what the weather was like. I could feel the warm breeze on the nights and the hot sun during the days.

"I remember every single detail. Every look. Every conversation. Every touch. Every kiss," I said, only belatedly noticing that my voice had turned husky. I definitely didn't intend for that to happen. I hoped she didn't think I was leading her down here for _that._ Not that it would be a bad thing, but that had to wait, at least a little while longer. I decided to get her talking again. I wanted to know how well she remembered them. "I remember how you felt, how you made me feel. Do you remember them that well?"

She told me that, to her, they were like memories. That even though we just met, because of the dreams, if felt like we'd known each other for years. I felt exactly the same way. She asked me how this was possible. I could tell she was still having difficulty wrapping her mind around it. But I had already seen the one thing that convinced me not to question it, and I had 2 weeks to think about it.

"I don't know how, but I don't know if I want to question it." I said. I was hoping this part could wait until she saw it.

"You don't want to know how this happened?" She asked. I could tell she was getting frustrated. I could hear it in her voice.

"Of course I do, but I think you'll understand in a minute." I said hoping she would let me drop it for now. "How long are you here for?" I was changing the subject. She went with it. That made me smile. She trusted me.

"3 weeks." She said. It instantly didn't sound like enough time. 3 weeks is a long time, though. I'd have to make sure we made the most of it.

"Then I guess we'll have to make the most of them and stay _busy_ while you're here," I said suggestively. What can I say, I am a man. Though, it's not like I planned to stay locked up with her in my bedroom. I wanted to get to know her more. I was unwittingly living in her childhood home, in her hometown. I'm sure there were lots of things she could show me about herself, and for the first time in a really long time, I found that I wanted to do the same. That, however, would require going to my home, in Sweden. I wondered if she would go there with me. Was it too soon to ask that of her?

I had to stop pondering then because we were walking up behind the pond on the bank. We walked carefully. There were lots of thorn trees back there. I had never seen a thorn tree before moving here. They instantly struck me as beautiful, menacingly beautiful. I carefully led her over to the spot of her favorite view. I stood there silently. I didn't know what to say.

"I'm confused," she said. I turned her to me so that she could see my face in the light and asked, "Do you remember the dream when you told me about this spot? Do you remember what we did?"

I saw her smile as she remembered it. "You told me we had to mark it, then carved an 'S' in that tr…" She didn't finish. She had seen it. I was relieved and waited for her reaction.

She took the flashlight from my hand and stepped closer to the tree, dropping my other hand in the process. I instantly felt the loss. What was wrong with me? Why did I always have to be touching her? I watched as she shone the light on the carved letters.

"Holt shit!" I heard her exclaim. I knew the feeling.

She reached up and touched them in much the same manner that I had. Her hand dropped back down to her side, and I instantly wanted to grab it, but she needed to have her moment. I know I did. I could tell she was thinking hard about what she was seeing.

She stood there for about 5 minutes just staring and thinking. I couldn't take it any longer. I took a few steps forward and stood beside her. "Now do you understand?" I asked, as I gently took her hand back in mine. I instantly felt better.

"Yes," She said.

We stood there, hand in hand, for another five minutes, just staring at the carvings. We were letting all of it sink in. I turned to her and she automatically turned towards me. I couldn't stand to think that when we got back to the house she would be leaving again, even if just for the night. I wanted to ask her to stay with me, but I couldn't find the right way to say it without it sounding like I was planning to have my way with her. Just when I decided on what to say, the flashlight went out and she made a squeaking noise.

"Damn it." I said. She tapped the flashlight against her leg; it flickered a couple of times and died again. An owl hooted and she squeaked again. It was fucking cute.

"Afraid of the dark?" I asked.

"No!" She said. "When I was a kid there was a bobcat down here. I wouldn't come down here at night for a long time."

I felt like teasing her, "Well that thing that just hooted, that was an owl, and you don't need to be afraid of it."

"Gee, thanks. There are other things down here you know. Like snakes and spiders, oh and there used to be a fox too. And bugs…I need a shower." Hmm, I don't think she meant to say that last part. I wanted to have more fun.

"Well, we can certainly take care of that." I used my deep husky voice again, on purpose this time. Then I leaned down and kissed her neck, just below her ear. She fucking loved that. Just thinking about the sounds she made when I did that to her in our dreams made my pants tighten. She moaned, and then tried to cover it with a cough. I laughed.

"Let's try and find our way out of here." I said.

This was going to be difficult. The pond bank was lined with trees, and the walking space was only a couple feet wide. On the other side there was a steep slope. With the flashlight it hadn't been so bad, we were able to avoid the thorn tree branches and the smaller thorn plants that protrude across the path.

I got in front of Sookie and gripped her right hand with mine behind my back. She immediately grabbed onto the back of my shirt and it felt fucking good. I started moving slowly, my eyes were starting to adjust to the dark better and I could make out bigger branches. When I saw the thorn branches I stepped on them to hold them down then let her pass over. Then I resumed my position in front of her. When we finally made it to the end I heard her let go of a sigh of relief. I smiled. The little things she did made me so happy, and I was not at all afraid to admit it. Then we heard a slithering noise and when she squeaked that time, she also grabbed my arm. I chuckled and was looking around for the source, when we heard a little splash. She immediately started moving toward the house

I was full on laughing now, "It was probably just a garter snake."

"It could have been a water moccasin!" She kept pulling on me as she tried to get away. She could have easily dropped my hand. Maybe she liked holding onto me as much as I liked holding onto her. That gave me an idea.

"Snakes don't bite much higher than the ankle, maybe I should just carry you," I suggested. She stopped. She obviously liked the idea. That was all the invitation I needed. I immediately swept her up in my arms, one arm under her knees, the other around her torso. She felt wonderful, so close to me and warm. She smelled amazing, too. I actually remember her scent from my dream.

"Eric! I can walk!" She said, but she wasn't struggling.

"But this is so much better. You don't have to worry about snake bites now." I was smirking.

I expected her to try to jump out of my arms or something, but she didn't. She just seemed to accept it, wrapped her arms around my neck and laid her head on my shoulder. I kissed her forehead and smelled her hair. I couldn't help it and let out a small moan at the pleasure I got from her scent. I was enjoying it way too much. When we were almost up to the house I looked down at her and saw that she was sleeping. I smiled. She was so cute when she slept.

It took a little maneuvering to get her into the house without smacking her head on anything. Ansel just stared at us. Once I got her inside, I headed back for my bedroom. When I laid her down on the bed she stirred.

"Eric?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

"Sookie, you fell asleep. You should stay here." I didn't say "tonight", because I didn't want her to stay here, just for one night.

"I don't have anything to wear." She said sleepily. At least she wasn't really fighting me on it.

"I have a shirt you can use." She just nodded, which made me really happy. I went to retrieve the shirt from the closet and handed it to her. She got up and went into the bathroom. I took the opportunity to change as well. I only slept in a pair of flannel pajama pants normally and pulled them on. I had the sudden afterthought that I should put on a shirt to make her more comfortable. I was standing in front of the closet trying to find one when I heard her come back into the room and let out a small gasp. I turned around and my breath caught in my own throat.

She looked like sex in my shirt. It was just a plain black t-shirt and it came down to about mid-thigh on her. Her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders and her legs looked amazing. Seeing her in my shirt like that…damn I was getting hard again. It didn't help that she was staring at me like she wanted to devour me. I realized that I hadn't put the shirt on yet. I turned and grabbed one quickly and pulled it over my head, then realized I had it on backwards. I pulled it off and struggled to get it on right.

When I finally got the damned shirt on correctly I heard her giggling at me from the bed. I didn't even notice that she had moved. She was already under the blanket. Shit. I didn't know if I should try to sleep in the bed with her or go out to the couch. I wanted to be in the bed with her all snuggled up close to her. I decided what to do.

I walked up to her and bent down to kiss her on the forehead and said, "Good night, Sookie." Then I grabbed a pillow and turned to walk out of the room.

"Just where the hell do you think you're going?" she asked.

"I thought I'd sleep on the couch, you might want to stretch out and I don't want to assume anything." I know, it was lame, but if she invited me to sleep in the bed with her, then I wouldn't feel like I was forcing her into anything.

"Eric, this bed is big enough for the both of us, and I think we know each other well enough to sleep in the same bed. Besides, I don't think I could fall asleep knowing you are just in the next room. Now get back here and hold me." She was smiling. Well, shit. She could obviously see right through me. I didn't expect her not to, but I wanted her to know that this was her choice. And by god, she chose to have me hold her. So I would.

I laughed and said, "As you wish." Which made her laugh. I loved her laugh; it was probably my favorite sound in the world.

I walked over to the wall and flipped the light off and then made my way around to the other side of the bed. I put the pillow back and slipped in under the covers. As soon as I was in the bed I felt Sookie moving closer to me. I was on my back and she snuggled right into me. She laid her head on my shoulder and put one arm across my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her in as close as she could get. I placed my other hand on top of the one she had laid across my chest.

I don't think I have ever been that comfortable in my life. She took a deep contented sigh and within minutes she was asleep. I smiled to myself and said a silent prayer to whomever or whatever caused Sookie to come into my life. Then I drifted off into the best night's sleep I've ever known.

******

Well, there you have it.

I want an Eric to cuddle with. Damn. I also just realized that my Eric and Sookie cuss a lot. Sorry about that. I guess that's my own potty mouth coming through.

Thank's to all of you who are reading and leaving me wonderful reviews! Every one is like an individual cuddle with Eric *giggles*


	7. Chapter 7

Back in Sookie POV. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

I felt myself being moved out of my warm haven, and being laid down. I started to wake. I didn't want Eric to stop holding me.

"Eric?" I asked.

"Sookie, you fell asleep. You should stay here." He told me gently.

Well, heck I wasn't going to fight him on that. I wanted to stay; I just didn't want to assume that I was automatically welcome to do so.

"I don't have anything to wear," I said. I wasn't going to fight him on staying there, but I wasn't going to sleep in my clothes either.

"I have a shirt you can use." I nodded. Inside, I was sleepily jumping for joy. I was really hoping he would say that. I wanted to be wrapped in his scent all night. He handed me a black t-shirt from his closet, and I went to the bathroom to change. I took off my shoes and put them in the corner, and then I took off my jacket and hung it behind the door. I pulled off my jeans, shirt, bra, and socks, and folded them before setting them on top of my shoes. I picked up his shirt and smelled it. It smelled exactly like him. I remembered his scent from our dreams. It's so uniquely him. I'd never smelled anything like it. I can't even describe how amazing it is to me.

I pulled on his shirt and looked at myself in the mirror. Wow. I love the way I look in his clothes. I found his mouthwash and did a quick rinse before heading back to the bedroom. Boy, was I happy when I got there. Eric was standing in front of his closet wearing nothing but a pair of flannel pajama pants. All of his toned upper body was on display. Just the sight of him without his shirt on had me excited. I think I gasped because he suddenly turned around and took me in.

He was looking me up and down, like I was a big juicy steak and he was a starving animal. He jumped all of a sudden, grabbed a shirt from his closet and hastily threw it on. Then he realized he had put it on backwards. He pulled it off again and was struggling to get it on right. I was appreciating the view as I moved over to the bed and got in. I saw him finally get the shirt on and giggled. I couldn't help it. It was funny seeing a man that huge having trouble with a t-shirt. He looked at me on the bed and seemed to be wondering what to do next.

He walked over to me, bent down to kiss me on the forehead and said, "Good night, Sookie." Then he grabbed a pillow and turned to walk out of the room. _Oh, hell no!_

"Just where the hell do you think you're going?" I asked.

"I thought I'd sleep on the couch, you might want to stretch out and I don't want to assume anything." I saw what he was doing. He wanted me to give it the okay first. Just like I wanted him to do with me staying here. So I gave it to him.

"Eric, this bed is big enough for the both of us, and I think we know each other well enough to sleep in the same bed. Besides, I don't think I could fall asleep knowing you are just in the next room. Now get back here and hold me." I was smiling.

He laughed and said, "As you wish." That made me laugh. We had a discussion in one of our dreams about The Princess Bride. We both loved the whimsical, romantic cheesiness of that movie.

Eric walked to the wall and flipped the light off. I heard him walk around to the other side of the bed, and then I heard him lay the pillow down and pull the covers up to slip in. As soon as he was in I was sliding up to him. He lay on his back, and I rested my head on his shoulder and draped my arm across his chest. He pulled me closer to him with his left arm and placed his right hand on my left.

That was the most comfortable I have ever been. I sighed, deep and satisfyingly, I thanked my lucky stars that I had found Eric, and then drifted off to sleep.

When I woke the next morning the first thing I felt was warmth and safety. I was perfectly at ease. We must have changed positions sometime during the night because I could feel his hard chest against my back. He had his right arm draped over mine and our fingers were entwined. We even held hands in our sleep? Wow.

Even though my bladder was practically begging to be relieved, I found that I didn't want to move. I lay there for a good ten minutes just listening to, and feeling him breathe. I was so content. I finally decided I couldn't wait any longer, and carefully left his embrace without waking him. He was just so beautiful when he was sleeping. I tiptoed out of the room and made my way to the bathroom. I took care of my needs and rinsed my mouth out with his mouthwash again. I was about to make my way back to the bedroom when I saw Ansel standing at the end of the hall wagging his tail at me. Poor guy probably needed to take care of his business too. I almost took him out just wearing Eric's shirt, and then thought of all the nosy neighbors around here. I didn't really care what they thought, and then I realized that it would probably be a little chilly so I went back into the bathroom and put my clothes from yesterday back on. I reluctantly put Eric's shirt in the hamper and pulled my jacket back on.

I didn't see a leash near the door, so I assumed Ansel would just do his thing then come back. He's probably too lazy to take off anyway. As soon as we were outside, Ansel headed down the slope of the yard and across the drive. He wasn't sniffing around; he just made his way to a spot and took care of business. Apparently he was trained to relieve himself in the same area. That was smart. I looked over at Bill's house and noticed that nothing had changed over there. There was a newer four-wheeler, but he still had the same old truck. Rednecks. Ansel had come back up to the porch so I took him back inside. I closed the front door and when I turned around I was suddenly in the embrace of Eric. He was breathing funny, like he was upset or something.

"Eric," I mumbled into his shirt. "What's wrong?"

"You weren't there." He said as he loosened his grip and looked me in the eyes. I suddenly understood. "I woke up and you weren't there."

"I'm sorry." I said, and I was. It would have upset me too. "I woke up and Ansel looked like he needed to go out so I took him."

"No, I'm sorry, Sookie. I shouldn't have freaked out." Eric said. "Forgive me?"

"Eric, there's nothing to forgive. I would have been upset too if you weren't there." Now it was Eric's turn for his stomach to growl. He's one of those wakes-up-hungry types. I could deal with that. I may not be that great at making omelets, but boy could I bake. I just hoped he had all the ingredients.

"Come on," I said. "It's my turn to feed you." He smiled broadly and let me lead him to the kitchen. I began looking through the fridge and cabinets for the ingredients I would need. He actually had the cabinets organized in much the same way that we used to keep them so I found everything pretty easily.

"What are you making?" He asked.

"It's a surprise." I said. "It'll take about 20 minutes to get everything together so if you want to go shower or anything now would be the time."

He looked a bit dejected. "Eric, I would love to shower with you, but seeing that I only have one outfit to wear I think you're on your own. Besides, by the time you get out I'll have breakfast ready, we can eat, and then go to my parents place so I can shower and change."

"Okay, I guess you're right." He said, and then he kissed me on the forehead and took off to the other end of the house.

I started putting the ingredients together. I was going to make him top-hat high cheddar biscuits. I loved them and they were so easy to make. They only take about 5 minutes to throw together and about 12 to bake. Once I had the dough made I was surprised to find that he had a biscuit cutter. Men who could cook were hot, but if they baked too, well that was just sexy to me. When the biscuits were almost done I started the eggs and sausage patties. I was so glad he had them. You could do without, but these were so much better with sausage or bacon.

The oven dinged and the biscuits were perfect. I pulled them out of the oven and placed two on each plate I had waiting. I split each one open and placed a fried egg on the bottom half then a sausage patty and put the tops back on. Just as I turned around with the plates, Eric walked back in the kitchen. He was barefoot, but wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt. His hair was down and still a bit wet. He smelled like his shampoo. I realized I was staring so I set our plates down at the table, and then went to fill us both a glass of orange juice. Eric sat down at the table and looked at his plate.

"These look delicious, and they smell great. I love biscuits. How did you get them so big? Mine always come out so flat."

I laughed, "I'll give you the recipe. Now dig in. You smell great, and now I'm even more aware of how unclean I am."

"You smell great too." He said before he took a bite. He groaned and I was worried about the things that noise did to my body. "Oh my god, this is amazing!"

I laughed again and started eating mine. We finished eating in comfortable silence. When I went to pick up our plates he stopped me. "I got that," he said. I smiled at him as he took my empty plate and glass over to the sink, and rinsed them off before putting them in the dishwasher. I got up and asked him where he kept his plastic bags. He pointed out the drawer and I retrieved one, and then put the leftover biscuits in it. He snagged the last one off the pan before I could get it in the bag, though.

"They're just so good," he said.

"Well if you heat them up with a little butter, they make a great snack too."

"I think I'd like to snack on something else," he teased.

"I'm sure you would. Now put some shoes on, I want to show you around after I change." I told him.

"Yes, ma'am," he laughed and went over to the back door where his tennis shoes were laying, "Do you want to take my car?" He asked.

"Can we?" I practically squealed. I admired that car when I got here. It's a beauty.

"Like it, huh?"

"I love old muscle cars, especially when they're black and shiny."

"Well, let's get going then, I can't wait to see all the things you want to show me." He said just a bit suggestively, and then laughed. "Just let me get my shoes on, and get Ansel some food and we'll go."

I went on out to my car to retrieve my purse, which I couldn't believe I'd left unlocked all night. Then I went over to look at the Nova. It had leather seats and the interior was spotless. I couldn't wait to hear him start it up. I wondered if he'd let me drive it sometime. I also wondered what it would be like to get a bit frisky in it. Just thinking about it gave me a warm feeling inside. About that time Eric came out the front door so I got in. The seats felt amazing too. This would definitely be fun to get frisky in. Eric got in the car and gave me a look, almost like he knew what I was imagining. Then he started the car and I couldn't hold back my giggles. It purred. He revved it a couple times and smirked at me before pulling out of the drive.

I told him where to go and in about 10 minutes we were at my parents' duplex, the next town over. We went inside, and as I was getting my clothes out Eric began looking at all the pictures my parent had up at their house. Most of them were of Jason and me when we were little. My mother actually had them on the walls in chronological order. I told him I'd be back in about 20 minutes and headed for the bathroom. I took a shower as fast as I could. I hated being away from him. It really sucked to be in the shower, naked and alone, without him. What a waste of water.

I finished up and got dressed. I wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a red t-shirt. I had always been a casual dresser, but when it got warm out I loved to wear sundresses. I was very careful about my skin though. I had a healthy glow, but I didn't want a dark tan. I'd prefer not to have deep wrinkles by the time I'm 35, thank you very much. I blow-dried my hair, and put some moisturizer on my face. I applied a bit of eyeliner and mascara, but that's all I usually wore in the make-up department.

When I came out of the bathroom I found Eric sitting on the couch looking through a photo album. It was full of pictures I had taken. My mom made it when I was starting out.

"Find something you like?" I asked as I made my way over to the couch and sat down next to him.

"This picture," he said pointing at an old black and white, one of my firsts, "is framed in my room. Did you take it?"

"Yeah, that was one of my first pictures. I had some framed when I was younger and decorated my room with them. When I left home I left them in my room, and my parents left them when they started renting out the house. They said it would give me more exposure," I laughed, "I did notice that you hadn't taken them down, do you like them?"

"I'm staying in your old bedroom and the pictures in there were taken by you?" He asked.

"Yes and yes."

"Well, that's just…wow." He was acting like this was another big revelation.

"What?" I asked.

"I loved the pictures in that room as soon as I saw them, but when I thought about moving them out into the living room or somewhere else in the house, something always stopped me." He said. "It's just a feeling I would get, like they weren't mine to move."

"Something else not to question?" I asked.

"Yeah, better not." He said and he was looking at me now, right in the eyes. I felt my heartbeat quicken as I realized how close we were. I distantly heard the photo album snap shut. Eric brought his hand up to my face and tucked my hair behind my ear. He leaned in and I closed my eyes as I felt his lips brush mine. I leaned into him, seeking more, and he took that as invitation enough. His lips were on mine then, softly at first. I reached my hand around to the back of his head and ran my fingers through his hair. Our mouths moved together in a wonderful rhythm and I felt his tongue seek entrance, which I happily gave. My heart began to beat even faster as the kiss deepened and I moaned into his mouth. He let out a groan and pulled me closer to him. I was practically straddling him and as I felt his arousal through his jeans, I snapped back to reality. I pulled back.

"What's wrong," He asked. He looked just as flushed as I felt. I noticed that he was breathing heavily.

"Not here," I said. "Not in my parent's home, it's just creepy."

He sighed, "I understand."

"Thank you." I said and kissed him lightly on his lips.

"Now, let's get going." I suddenly took in my surroundings. I finally noticed that we had been sitting on the couch. Eric had put the hide-a-bed up. And my luggage was all gone.

"Where is my stuff?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"It's in the car," he said with a big smirk.

"Are you assuming that I was to stay with you, Eric?" I teased.

"I know you want to stay with me, Sookie, why fight it?" He had that smoldering look in his eyes, and for a split second I almost gave into my more carnal desires again. I didn't argue the point any longer because he was right. Plus, I really wanted to get going. I got up off of him and grabbed his hand.

"Come on."

********

Big thanks to my beta, FDM!

I'm not sure about updates for the next couple days. I stay up pretty late so you might keep getting them regular, but don't hold me to it.

Reviews are like Nova Nookie!


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, I know it's been a couple days, but I wanted to give the DaG giddyness a chance to pass a bit. Back in EPOV.

Bear hugs to FDM, me beta! You're amazing!

*************

Chapter 8

I woke up the next morning hoping to snuggle with Sookie a bit. I may be a man, but there is something to be said for snuggling. Feeling the warm body of the person you care about pressed against yours is something to be treasured. I realized that Sookie wasn't curled up against me like I had hoped. She wasn't even in the bed. I quickly sat up and felt the side of the bed she had slept on. It was still slightly warm, and the pillow still held her scent. I tried to calm myself down, she was probably just in the bathroom, but I couldn't help the feeling of dread that overtook me. I got up to check and found that the bathroom door was open, and Sookie wasn't there either. My feeling of dread grew. It couldn't have been a dream, could it? She left her clothes in there last night, but I couldn't find them. I looked in the hamper and found the black shirt she had worn. I had a lot of black shirts though, and this one could have been mine.

I heard the front door open and ran quickly towards the noise. Ansel trotted in the door and after him, there she was. She was wearing her clothes from the night before. I watched her close the door and as soon as she turned around I embraced her.

"Eric, what's wrong?" she asked. Shit, I probably freaked her out. What can I tell her? I don't want to sound like a pansy with a panic attack just because she left the bedroom. I decided on the truth, because I knew she would understand.

"You weren't there," I said as I loosened my grip and looked straight into her gorgeous eyes, "I woke up and you weren't there."

I could immediately see that she felt guilty and I didn't want that. It wasn't her fault. She told me that she was sorry, that she woke up and Ansel wanted to go out so she took him.

She had no reason to apologize, so I told her I was sorry for freaking out and asked for her to forgive me. She said there was nothing to forgive, that she would have been upset too if I hadn't been there when she woke. She was telling the truth and it made me feel better. Then my stomach growled. I always woke up like I hadn't eaten in days.

"Come on," she said, "It's my turn to feed you." I smiled at her while thinking of all the ways she could, indeed, feed me. She led me out to the kitchen and began looking through the cabinets and refrigerator. After a couple minutes she got a satisfied look on her face.

"What are you making?" I asked.

"It's a surprise," she said. "It'll take about 20 minutes to get everything together so if you want to go shower or anything now would be the time."

Well, that gave me a gloomy feeling. I was hoping we would shower together. I also didn't like the idea of not being with her. I realized how stupid that seemed; she was just going to be a couple rooms away. But after my little panic attack I didn't want to let her out of my sight. She could see that I was upset.

"Eric, I would love to shower with you, but seeing that I only have one outfit to wear I think you're on your own. Besides, by the time you get out I'll have breakfast ready, we can eat, and then go to my parents place so I can shower and change."

"Okay, I guess you're right." I said, and she was. There was no reason for me to be upset about it. I got up and kissed her on the forehead before making my way to the bathroom.

I got to the bathroom, and turned on the water to let it warm, though a cold shower would probably do me some good right about now. I undressed and got in. It was the worst shower I had ever taken. I think it was mostly knowing that Sookie was only a couple rooms away when she could be in here, with me, naked. This was just a sad waste of water. I rushed through the shower, which for a guy is pretty damn fast. I mean, most of our showers are like, what, 8 minutes long?

I got out and wrapped a towel around my waist. When I opened the door I could smell the food and my stomach growled again. I went to my bedroom and got dressed. I was making my way up the hall when I heard something. Sookie was humming while she was cooking. I stood at the end of the hall, but out of the doorway, and just listened to her. To me, at that moment, listening to Sookie hum while she cooked me breakfast, well that was just the best sound in the world. I don't even think she realized she was doing it, which just made it better. It meant she was comfortable here with me. This was home to her, and I was hoping that I could be home to her too.

After listening to her for a while, I finally turned the corner and made my way into the kitchen. She had just turned around holding a plate in each hand. She stopped instantly and stared at me, looking me up and down. I wonder if she realized what a simple look like that from her did to me. She walked over to the table and set our plates down, then went to get us both a glass of OJ.

I sat down at the table and looked down at the plate. Sitting on it were two really large, homemade biscuits, each with an egg and sausage patty on them. I was salivating. My biscuits never turned out this good.

"These look delicious, and they smell great. I love biscuits. How did you get them so big? Mine always come out so flat." Oh, man. Did I really just ask her for baking advice?

She laughed, "I'll give you the recipe. Now dig in. You smell great, and now I'm even more aware of how unclean I am."

"You smell great too." I said with a small smirk, and then took a bite. They were so good I think I let out a groan. "Oh my god, this is amazing!"

We finished eating and she tried to pick up our plates, but I wouldn't have that. "I got that," I said. She gave me her sweet smile and I took the dishes and rinsed them off before putting them in the dishwasher. She asked me where I kept my plastic bags and I showed her. She was putting the leftover biscuits in them and before she could put the last one in I snatched it.

"They're just so good," I said before devouring it.

"Well if you heat them up with a little butter, they make a great snack too."

"I think I'd like to snack on something else," I teased.

"I'm sure you would. Now put some shoes on, I want to show you around after I change." She told me.

"Yes, ma'am," I laughed, and went over to the back door where my tennis shoes were laying, "Do you want to take my car?" I asked. I didn't go many places around here and was always looking for an opportunity to drive it.

"Can we?" she had that high-pitched excited voice that girls get sometimes.

"Like it, huh?"

"I love old muscle cars, especially when they're black and shiny." Oh yes, I definitely liked this girl.

"Well, let's get going then, I can't wait to see all the things you want to show me." I said just a bit suggestively, and then laughed. "Just let me get my shoes on, get Ansel some food, and we'll go."

She went on outside to get some stuff from her car, and when I came out I saw her admiring mine. She got in and looked like she was enjoying the car a bit too much, which just gave me all sorts of naughty ideas. When I got in I looked at her, and I knew she was definitely thinking the same thing. I started the car and she began giggling. She really did have a thing for powerful objects. I'd have to remember that. I revved the engine a couple times, purely for her sake before pulling out of the drive.

She gave me directions and about 10 minutes later we were at her parents' duplex. I'd never known where they lived. I mailed the rent, and if I ever needed anything they always insisted on coming out personally. They were great people.

We went inside and Sookie started getting out some clothes while I began looking at all the pictures on the walls. It was amazing to see Sookie at such young ages. Luckily, her parents seemed to have them in chronological order along the walls. She told me she'd be back in about 20 minutes and went to the bathroom. I thought about following her, but all the pictures sucked me in. I wanted to know why she had her knee bandaged up in one. What school dance was she going to in the picture of her in a formal dress? I began to notice her smile in the pictures. I could instantly tell if it was genuine or not. Most of the time it was.

I looked around, and noticed that she had the bed from the couch out and made up. Then I took in the luggage she had sitting there. I started gathering it up and taking it out to the car. There was no way she was just going to stay here. I could tell she wanted to stay with me. I could see that last night. I got all her luggage in the car then set about putting up the bed. I probably should have asked her before I did all that, but something was telling me she wouldn't mind. It had only been about 15 minutes and I didn't hear the water running anymore so I sat down on the couch. The stand next to the couch was also a small shelf that held photo albums. I grabbed one and when I opened it I found some of the most beautiful pictures I had ever seen. They must be Sookie's pictures. I got about halfway through it when I my breath caught in my throat. I was staring at the picture that was currently hanging on the wall in my bedroom. Did Sookie take that?

I vaguely heard Sookie come out of the bathroom, but I found I couldn't look up at her; my mind was racing.

"Find something you like?" she asked as she came to sit next to me.

"This picture," I said pointing to it "is framed in my room. Did you take it?"

"Yeah, that was one of my first pictures. I had some framed when I was younger and decorated my room with them. When I left home I left them in my room, and my parents left them when they started renting out the house. They said it would give me more exposure," she laughed, "I did notice that you hadn't taken them down, do you like them?"

"I'm staying in your old bedroom and the pictures in there were taken by you?" I asked.

"Yes and yes."

"Well, that's just…wow."

"What?" she asked.

"I loved the pictures in that room as soon as I saw them, but when I thought about moving them out into the living room, or somewhere else in the house, something always stopped me." I said. "It's just a feeling I would get, like they weren't mine to move."

"Something else not to question?" she asked.

"Yeah, better not." I said and suddenly I took her in, she smelled so good. I was looking her directly in the eyes and decided to take advantage of how close we were. I shut the photo album and set it on the table behind me. I softly tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned in to brush my lips against hers. I was waiting to see if she would respond. I felt her lean in, and took that as a definite 'yes'. I kissed her then, softly at first. She brought her hand around to run her fingers through my hair. I lightly licked her upper lip, seeking entrance, which she gave enthusiastically. She moaned into my mouth, causing me to groan and pull her closer. I could feel my hardness straining against my jeans when she suddenly pulled back.

"What's wrong," I asked. I was breathing heavily, and she looked flushed.

"Not here," she said. "Not in my parent's home, it's just creepy."

I sighed, "I understand." I did. It would definitely be strange to think back on our first time together and remember it being on the couch in her parent's home.

"Thank you." she said and kissed me lightly. "Now, let's get going." She looked around and finally seemed to take in that all her stuff was gone.

"Where is my stuff?" She asked.

"It's in the car," I said with a big smirk.

"Are you assuming that I was to stay with you, Eric?" she was teasing me. I was relieved that she wasn't upset.

"I know you want to stay with me, Sookie, why fight it?" I was giving her my seductive look on purpose and the look in her eyes told me that it would come in handy. She got up off of me and grabbed my hand.

"Come on."

**************

Don't kill me for not adding on a bit more, I'm planning on updating again tonight! I can't sit on this next chapter, it'll kill me.

Thanks to everyone for the reviews and alert adds! It means a lot to know you all are reading!


	9. Chapter 9

Okay, I promised another tonight and here it is! Thanks to FDM for fixing my mistakes!

***********

Chapter 9

On our way to the door I remembered to grab my bathroom bag. I wouldn't want to leave things I may need behind. I was positively giddy that I was going to be staying with Eric. If it had been any other guy to put my luggage in their car without asking, I probably would have told him off, but who was I kidding? I wanted it just as much as he did.

We left the house and I locked the door and put the key back in its hiding place. We got in the car, and Eric started it up. "Where to, milady?" he asked with a shit-eating grin.

"Anywhere," I said, "just drive." He looked at me with a bemused expression.

"Anywhere?" he asked.

"Yes," I smiled, "you and I are going to have a 'Pat Day'"

"What on earth is a 'Pat Day'?" he was still confused.

"A 'Pat Day' is when you fill your car up with gas, put some money in your wallet, and just go. You just start driving and end up where you end up. You stop when you're hungry, or you see something interesting."

"Why is it called a 'Pat Day'?" he asked.

"I had this friend in high school named Pat, short for Patricia, and she was always up for doing something unexpected. She called me up one day and told me to get dressed, get some cash, and meet her at her house. I had no idea what to expect, but that is what we did. She was having a bad time at home, like normal, and just wanted to forget it all. So when that would happen, this is what we did. She'd call me, and we'd get in my car and just drive, never knowing exactly what we were going to do."

"Where is she now? Do you want to go see her?" he asked. I wasn't surprised that he would be okay with me spending time with other people while I was here, but I was surprised that he was the one to bring it up.

"She died our senior year." I said, frowning at the memory of losing my best friend. "Things at home got really bad. Her father is still in prison for it."

"I'm sorry." He said, frowning right along with me, and I knew it was genuine.

"It's okay, it was a long time ago, and I think Pat would have liked you." I smiled warmly at him.

"Oh, really? Why is that?" he smiled back at me.

"Because you make me happy. She was always about making other people happy, and nothing pleased her more than seeing a friend happy." I got a warm feeling remembering her.

"I think I would have liked her too." Eric said. "So where should we start?"

"Well that's the fun part," I said, "When we get to the highway we flip a coin and if it lands on heads, we go right, tails, left. Then if either of us sees something we like, or we want to stop for any reason, we just do and see where it takes us." I was grinning broadly. I haven't had a 'Pat Day' since she was alive, and I was glad to be sharing it with someone I cared about. I had tried to talk Bill into it once, shortly after she died, but he just didn't understand.

"Well, let's begin," he said, "this actually sounds really fun."

When we got to the highway I pulled out a quarter and flipped it. It landed on tails so we went left. It was the afternoon by then and the sun was shining, it was a rather warm spring day. We rolled the windows down and enjoyed the breeze as he drove. We were sitting in a comfortable silence once again, when I felt his hand reach over to grab mine. I laced my fingers with his and smiled at him. I supposed that now would be as good a time as any to ask him some questions.

"How did you end up here?" I asked. "In Missouri, I mean."

"Well, after I published my first novel, I began to want some peace and quiet, and for some reason New York was making me restless. Like I was expecting something that wasn't happening. I had a friend that lived in Texas, and he travels a lot so he offered to let me stay in his place. It was quiet there, and I wrote two more books. The quiet agrees with me, I think. Anyway, he got a girlfriend in North Dakota and got engaged so he planned to sell his house in Texas. I loved it there, but I didn't really want to own it, and I felt like a change anyway. I didn't want to go back to the city because I had just gotten Ansel, and he likes it outdoors. Well, he likes to lay outdoors. He told me about this couple he had met who rent out their house in Missouri. He gave me their number and I called them. I fell in love with the place just by their description, so they sent me some pictures and I agreed to come check it out. I moved in the next week."

"How long have you lived here?" I asked.

"Just over a year now. I moved in just before Christmas," he said.

Suddenly a question crept into my mind and with all the weird things we had been experiencing I couldn't ignore it.

"When did you leave New York?" I asked.

"About 5 years ago." He said and I felt my stomach clench.

"What month?" I asked in a small voice. I felt him look over at me.

"It was July, I remember because it was hot as hell. Sookie, what is it?" he asked.

"I moved to New York at the end of July, five years ago. It's just a coincidence, right?"

He was silent for a minute, thinking it over.

"I think too much weird stuff has happened with us for it to be just a coincidence. It is interesting, though. I wonder how many more of these little discoveries we are going to make."

I was beginning to wonder the same thing. All this was starting to really worry me. I don't want to question it; he's right about that. Something like this should be seen as a gift. I began going over all the details in my head. I had moved to New York just after he left. He moved to my childhood house about a year ago, just before Christmas. The Christmas, I noted, that I was supposed to come home for, but didn't because of nasty weather. I surely would have met him then. Then, bizarrely, we began having dreams about each other, and now we've found each other by a happy accident.

What's that they say about serendipity? That you are looking for something and end up with something even better. Well, I came home looking for inspiration and found the man of my dreams. All of a sudden I was scared to death that I was going to lose him. My mind confronted me with the whole 3 weeks thing. It was a mistake to think about it. I could instantly feel my eyes well up with tears as I squeezed his hand, the hand that I never wanted to let go.

I felt him look over at me just as the tears silently began to fall. He squeezed my hand reassuringly and found a spot to pull over. He put the car in park and then he had me in his arms.

"What is it, Sookie?" his voice was full of concern.

"I can't lose you," I said through my still silent tears, "I just found you and I can't lose you."

"You won't," he said and I could tell he believed it.

"You can't know that. Three weeks, Eric, that's all we have." The tears were coming eagerly now.

He ran his long fingers through my hair with one hand while the other rubbed my back in a soothing motion.

"That may be all we have for now, but it's not the end, Sookie." I looked up into his eyes. "It can't be, and I won't believe it. We're destined, you and I. I never really believed in that kind of thing, but now I do."

"What do we do?" I asked.

He smiled, "We have our 'Pat Day' today and we spend the rest of these three weeks with each other. Something got us this far; something pushed us together because we kept missing each other. Now it's up to us to take it somewhere. For now, we shouldn't worry about it. If three weeks is all we have, I don't want to spend it worrying about when that time is up."

I had stopped crying, though my eyeliner was probably all messed up now. He was right. We needed to take the time we had and treat it like a gift. Neither of us knew what was going to happen so, we should just be together and not worry about it.

"You're right," I laughed, "sorry for going all emotional on you." I pulled away from him.

"It's okay, Sookie. I know exactly how you feel." This man, is without doubt, the best man I have ever met. I'm not really sure I could pinpoint what caused the surge of emotion I felt, but without hesitation I put my hands around his neck and gave him the most passionate kiss I have ever given. He enthusiastically reciprocated and my mood instantly got better. We kissed heatedly until the need for air pulled us apart.

"Feel better now?" he asked with a satisfied smirk.

"Oh, I'm feeling much better," I said as I watched him adjust his pants, put the car in drive and pull back out onto the highway, "much better."

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Thanks for taking the time to read and review! The reviews really keep me motivated!

Reviews are like hot Nova kisses!


	10. Chapter 10

Here we go, Chapter 10! Sorry about the short wait. I had lots of sucky mainstreaming to do. We're still in Sookie's POV, so expect a big Eric POV soon!

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Chapter 10

We pulled back out on the highway and drove for about an hour, just enjoying the scenery and each other's company. Eric asked me if Pat Days were about acting on your impulses. I told him that they were, and asked why he wanted to know.

"Just clarifying." He said with a smirk.

About 20 minutes later I realized exactly why he was clarifying. He pulled us into a secluded spot off the main highway, and I wanted to ask what we were doing but his lips were on mine before I could get out the words. We kissed hungrily for a while, and just when I was getting all hot and bothered, he pulled away and started the car back up. I was completely confused, and asked him what the hell that was about.

"I had the impulse to kiss you and now I have the impulse to drive," he answered with a devious grin. I would have to figure out a way to get him back.

We drove into a nearby town just as we were starting to get hungry, so I suggested a little drive-in off the highway that had been there for as long as I could remember. They had the best burgers and ice cream around. It was a nice day, and they were pretty busy, so we got our food to go and took it to the nearby park. We sat on the grass under a large shade tree that was just starting to bloom, and ate our burgers. After we finished we decided to go for a walk around the large pond. We held hands and talked, and it felt wonderful. Suddenly I got an idea for how to get him back for his little 'impulse' stunt.

I spotted a heavily wooded area off the path and dragged him toward it. Once we were deep enough in, I shoved him against a tree. Eric looked at me questioningly, but with fire in his eyes. I gave him a smirk of my own before laying one on him. While my tongue made its way into his mouth, I pressed myself against him, rubbing in just the right way until I felt a bulge in his pants. His arms wrapped around my waist, and held me close to him as he groaned in my mouth. When I felt that I had him properly 'hot and bothered', I pulled away and started walking back to the path. I heard him groan and felt extremely satisfied. He caught up to me quickly and turned me to him.

"Just where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"Oh, I just had the _impulse_ to continue our walk." I gave him my best innocent smile, and turned back to the path while he stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. When I got back to the path I turned around and said, "Are you coming?" He looked at me intensely and it almost made me shiver, even from a distance. "I will be," he said in return, and then I did shiver.

We made it all the way around the park and by the time we got back to the car, the situation in his pants had died down. I felt bad about that, I really did. At least when women got hot and bothered, we could cover it up better than men. I asked him if he wanted ice cream and he agreed that it sounded good, so we went back to the drive-in.

As Eric went up to get us the ice cream, I got out of the car and leaned against it to enjoy the sun a bit. I closed my eyes when a familiar voice called my name, this one much more welcome than Bill's had been.

"Sookie?! Is that you?" he called. My eyes opened immediately as a big smile spread across my face. I spotted the person calling my name and ran towards him. He met me halfway and pulled me into a big bear hug.

"Sam Merlotte, it's so good to see you." I said as he squeezed me tight.

Sam was probably the only person, besides my parents, that I truly missed from here. He was my best friend in High School and was always with Pat and me. We were each other's rock when she died.

Sam had put me down and was now holding both my hands in his. "What are you doing back home," he asked. "How long are you here for?"

"Vacation," I answered, "three weeks."

"How have you been doing? Are you taking care of yourself?" Sam was always looking out for me. We called each other and e-mailed a lot when I first moved away, but it just sort of tapered off. I regretted that.

"I've been just fine, and as you can see I'm healthy as a horse, so yes I have been taking care of myself. What about you? What have you been up to?"

He smiled, "I opened my bar."

I gasped and hugged him again, "Sam! Congratulations! I'm so proud of you." Sam had always wanted to open a decent bar and grill in the area. I knew that he was looking for locations when I left, but he had a hard time nailing down the money for a few years. I was so happy that he was doing what he wanted.

As I pulled away I heard a man clear his throat behind me. _Oh shit! Eric!_ I hoped he hadn't read any of that the wrong way. There was absolutely no reason for him to be jealous of Sam. I had no feelings for him in that way. Pat told me that he had a crush on me in high school, but I was with Bill and I just didn't see him that way. Sam was like a brother to me.

I turned around and sure enough, there was Eric, looking kind of funny holding two ice cream cones. He was looking at me with one eyebrow raised. I didn't get a jealous vibe from him, he just looked curious.

I let go of Sam and took my ice cream from Eric. I smiled and thanked him. He had gotten us both strawberry. I took his now free hand in mine and brought him over to Sam.

"Eric, this is Sam Merlotte, a very good friend of mine," I said, "Sam, this is Eric Northman, my boyfriend." I felt Eric's hand squeeze mine a bit when I called him my boyfriend. I had hoped that he wouldn't mind, and that squeeze and the look on his face told me he didn't. He dropped my hand momentarily to shake Sam's and then picked it up again.

"Yeah, I know Eric," Sam said and he didn't look all that happy about it, "You're renting out Sookie's old house aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. I've been there just over a year now." A form of realization crossed Eric's face and he seemed uncomfortable. What was all that about? Sam didn't seem to care for Eric, and Eric seemed uncomfortable around Sam. Well, there's something to think about. I felt my ice cream start to drip down my fingers so I decided to get out of this uncomfortable little situation.

"Listen, Sam we're gonna go eat our ice cream before it melts all over us, but I want to see you soon," I said.

"Of course, I'm out at the bar most of the time, you can pretty much always catch me there. My number is still the same too." He told me.

"Where's the bar at?" I asked.

"Oh, Eric knows," he said, not even trying to hide the condescension in his voice.

I frowned a bit, "Okay, Sam. I'll come see you soon," I promised. I gave him another hug, and then followed Eric back to his car and we got in.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" I asked.

"Our ice cream is melting," he said.

"You're not getting out of it that easily," I told him, and then started in on my cold treat. It was delicious. I became mesmerized watching Eric lick his. He noticed me watching and started doing things with his tongue on purpose. I began to neglect my own cone and felt it start to drip again. I figured the best way to do this would be to not look at him. Watching a man eat pink ice cream should not turn me on that much. When I finished I turned to look at him and saw the he still had some pink on his hand. I got another idea.

I reached for his hand and he gave me a quizzical look. I grinned and began to lick the melted ice cream from his skin. I kept eye contact with him the whole time. There was some on his index finger so I started at the top of his palm and licked slowly all the way up to the tip of his finger, before taking it into my mouth and sucking it clean. Eric's eyes were half-closed and his mouth was open. I slowly pulled my mouth off his finger and released his hand, then sat back in my seat like nothing vulgar had just occurred.

Eric cleared his throat and adjusted his pants again, and then he started the car and we went to fill up at the gas station before we flipped our coin and went right. I decided not to ask him about the thing with Sam just yet. We were having a great day together and I didn't want to potentially ruin anything. I was planning on seeing Sam soon anyway and I knew I could make him explain things. It was probably nothing anyway.

"Let's go see a movie," I said abruptly. I wanted nothing more than to be in a dark room with Eric. It's not like I wanted to have sex in the theater, but it would be perfect for more teasing.

He smirked knowingly at me, "another _impulse_?"

"What? I just got the urge to watch a movie with you," I laughed, "Is it a good idea?"

"I think it's a splendid idea," he said.

We got to the theater and he bought us tickets to the next available movie. It was going to be about 5 minutes until we could go in so I went to the restroom. As I washed my hands I caught myself grinning like a fool. I had it bad. I met him outside the door and we walked into the theater just as the previews were starting. I couldn't tell you a single thing about the previews or the movie we attended, because as soon as we were seated Eric pulled up the armrest between us and pulled me to him, kissing me enthusiastically. For the entire two hours of that nameless movie we made out, taking breaks only to catch our breath and take a sip of the water he had bought.

I found myself straddling Eric's lap when the lights came back on. There were only 5 other people in the theater and they were all staring at us. Two of them were an elderly couple; the woman was shaking her head at me and the man, standing behind her, was smirking at us. I immediately felt the blood rush to my face and knew I must have been as red as my shirt. Everybody finally shuffled out of the theater, and as soon as they were gone Eric and I busted into a fit of laughter. I got up off of him and pulled him to his feet. We walked out of the theater hand in hand, still laughing.

It was getting dark out so we decided to just head back to the house, and if we spotted something along the way we'd stop. We got about halfway there when Eric's hand made its way to my thigh. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What?" he asked.

"You really want to start that while you're driving?"

"I am an excellent driver, and I know how to multitask." When he said that last word his hand squeezed my thigh lightly. I know it wasn't safe, but we were on a rural road and I was a bit caught up in the moment, so I took off my seatbelt and scooted closer to him. He seemed to think he had won some contest and got a smug look on his face, but that look quickly faded when he felt my own hand on his thigh.

"Two can play this game, Eric," I whispered in his ear. I felt him shiver and grinned.

He responded by massaging my inner thigh then working his hand up towards the button of my jeans. Why the hell didn't I wear a dress or a skirt or something? It would make this situation much easier. I was surprised when he managed to get the button undone with one hand, and then the zipper went easily. His hand sneaked its way under the denim causing me to moan and he hadn't even done anything yet. I heard him chuckle as he began to tease me through the fabric of my underwear. The light touches he was giving my caused me to throw my head back and moan. Then I remembered where my hand was and quickly brushed it along the bulge in his pants. He shifted a bit and tried to look at me, but I told him to keep his eyes on the road. His hand never faltered, and that surprised me and made me happy. He was right, he could multitask. As I began to rub him through his jeans, I felt his hand move aside the fabric of my underwear and his fingers found my center. I let out a strangled 'guk' noise as he teased me. I began to rub him harder and noticed that our breathing was becoming heavier.

My eyes closed and almost as soon as they did I heard Eric say, "Fuck!" He quickly pulled his hand from my pants and I felt the car slowing down. I opened my eyes and saw flashing red and blue lights. I quickly fastened my pants and slid back over to my seat. We pulled off the road and I started giggling.

"It's not funny!" Eric said.

"It is so funny." I laughed.

"Stop laughing."

"You can't tell a laughing person to stop laughing, it won't work." Another fit of giggles hit me then.

The officer came up to the window and all my giggles ceased. It was time to get serious. Eric rolled down the window and the officer's light shined in the car. He was an older man and was smiling.

"How are you two doing this evening?" he asked.

"Just fine, sir." Eric replied.

"Well, son, did you know you have a tail light out?" Eric and I both visibly relaxed.

"No, I didn't know that." Eric said.

"It's the one on the right. You make sure you get that fixed."

"I'll take care of it tomorrow, sir." I was already holding in a fit of laughter.

"You two be safe, have a good night," the officer said and walked back to his car.

As soon as the window was rolled back up we both burst into laughter.

"Okay, that was pretty funny," he admitted. We both laughed for a few minutes until he locked eyes with me. I saw something in his eyes, something completely serious and telling.

"Take me home, Eric." I said. He nodded and pulled back out onto the highway. He drove as fast as he could without risking another incident with a police officer, and soon we were back in my hometown. We pulled into the driveway and Eric was out of the car and over to my side opening the door for me much faster than I thought possible. He took me by the hand to help me out and I made for the trunk to get my stuff.

"We'll get it later," he said in a rushed voice.

"Someone's in a hurry," I said.

"You have no idea."

We got to the front door and he had it unlocked in no time. As soon as we were in the house we were met with a very antsy Ansel.

"Shit, sorry boy." Eric said. He gave me an apologetic look.

"Just take him, I need a glass of water anyway," and then I reached up to kiss him lightly on the lips and whispered, "I'll be waiting for you."

I left him standing there as I walked to the kitchen, and about 30 seconds later I heard the front door close. I quickly got a drink of water, and then practically ran back to the bedroom. I thought about undressing, but realized that I wanted Eric to take my clothes off. I did, however, take off my tennis shoes and socks. I was at a loss for what to do, so I sat on the bed in what I hoped was a sexy pose and waited. The bed was really comfortable and I realized that I was beginning to get tired. I looked over at the clock and realized that I had been waiting about 15 minutes. What the hell was taking so long? About that time I heard Ansel bark loudly so I ran to the front door to see what was going on.

Ansel was standing on the porch barking at something in the dark. I flipped on the light and gasped. Standing in the front yard were Eric and Bill; Eric had Bill in a headlock and Bill was punching him frantically anywhere he could reach. I flung open the door and stepped out onto the porch.

"What the hell are you two doing?"

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Yay! Wasn't that fun?! Okay, I have a treat for everyone! The wonderful, amazing, talented, Zigster, who is the sweetest person alive, made me a banner for this story! The link to it is on my profile, so go check it out!

*huggles* for FDM, my wonderful, amazing, talented beta who is my second set of eyes!

Thanks to everyone for all your feedback in the reviews! I love reading each and every one of them *kisses*


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry for the wait guys. I fully intended to update this last night, but my brain stopped working and I couldn't make the necessary changes until after I had some sleep.

Thank you kisses to FDM!

We're in EPOV

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Chapter 11

Sookie stopped on our way to the door to grab what I assumed was her bathroom bag. I was pleased that she seemed excited to be staying with me. I watched as she locked the door and hid the key again. She had a silly smile on her face the whole time and I don't think she realized it. We got in the car and I started it up smiling, because I knew she loved it.

"Where to, milady?" I asked.

"Anywhere," she said, "just drive."

"Anywhere?" I asked. I was a bit confused.

"Yes," she smiled, "you and I are going to have a 'Pat Day'"

"What on earth is a 'Pat Day'?" I was still confused.

"A 'Pat Day' is when you fill your car up with gas, put some money in your wallet, and just go. You just start driving and end up where you end up. You stop when you're hungry, or you see something interesting." Well, that actually sounded fun.

"Why is it called a 'Pat Day'?" I asked.

She explained to me the origins of the Pat Day. It was something she and a friend of hers used to do together. She spoke fondly of her and she sounded like a good friend of hers. I wondered if she wanted to visit her. She should get to see her old friends. "Where is she now? Do you want to go see her?" I asked.

"She died our senior year," she said, frowning, "things at home got really bad. Her father is still in prison for it."

"I'm sorry." I really was. I know how much it hurts to lose someone close to you and I was sorry that she had to go through that.

"It's okay, it was a long time ago, and I think Pat would have liked you." She smiled warmly at me. I loved that smile.

"Oh, really? Why is that?"

"Because you make me happy. She was always about making other people happy, and nothing pleased her more than seeing a friend happy." So I make her happy. Good to know.

"I think I would have liked her too." I said. "So where should we start?"

"Well that's the fun part," she said, "When we get to the highway we flip a coin and if it lands on heads, we go right, tails, left. Then if either of us sees something we like, or we want to stop for any reason, we just do and see where it takes us." she was grinning and I knew she was really excited to be sharing this with me.

"Well, let's begin," I said, "this actually sounds really fun."

When we got to the highway she pulled out a quarter and flipped it. It landed on tails so we went left. It was actually quite nice out so we rolled down the windows and enjoyed the warm spring air. I noticed her hand lying on the seat so I reached over to hold it and she smiled as she knotted her fingers with mine.

"How did you end up here?" she asked. "In Missouri, I mean."

I didn't think anyone that I had met here actually wanted to know how I ended up here. I loved that she wanted to know more about me. I explained to her how I came to leave New York and went to Texas. I told her about finding this place and moving here.

"How long have you lived here?" she asked.

"Just over a year now. I moved in just before Christmas," I said.

"When did you leave New York?" she asked.

"About 5 years ago."

"What month?" she asked in a small voice. I looked over at her. All the blood was drained from her face.

"It was July, I remember because it was hot as hell. Sookie, what is it?"

"I moved to New York at the end of July, five years ago. It's just a coincidence, right?"

Wow. Sookie moved to New York, five years ago, just after I left. What if I had stayed? Would we have met? Would it have been the same? I couldn't help but wonder if I was getting restless because I hadn't met her. Maybe I was waiting for her. I couldn't think like that though. The "what if" scenarios would drive a person crazy. It was another bizarre connection we had. I never really believed in destiny before now, but if none of the other stuff made me a believer, this certainly did. It was like something was trying to get us to meet, but we kept missing the mark. So maybe the universe intervened by giving us those dreams, causing Sookie to come home. I wondered if she came back just for that, if she just wanted to see the field again after having the dreams. I would have to ask her.

"I think too much weird stuff has happened with us for it to be just a coincidence. It is interesting, though. I wonder how many more of these little discoveries we are going to make."

She was silent for a while. Thinking it over, I supposed. I stayed quiet and let her. All this was a lot to process. About five minutes later, I felt her squeeze my hand. I looked at her and saw tears falling silently from her eyes. I felt my stomach tighten, I hated seeing her cry. I gave her hand a squeeze and pulled the car over. I put it in park, and then pulled her to me.

"What is it, Sookie?" I asked gently.

"I can't lose you," she said through her still silent tears, "I just found you and I can't lose you."

"You won't," I said, and I was absolutely sure of that.

"You can't know that. Three weeks, Eric, that's all we have." She was crying harder now. I ran my fingers through her hair with one hand, while the other rubbed her back. I was well aware of the short amount of time we had. I would make damn sure we got more. I was already trying to figure out a plausible reason to go with her when she left.

"That may be all we have for now, but it's not the end, Sookie." She looked up at me with her swollen, red eyes. "It can't be, and I won't believe it. We're destined, you and I. I never really believed in that kind of thing, but now I do."

"What do we do?" she asked.

I smiled, "We have our 'Pat Day' today and we spend the rest of these three weeks with each other. Something got us this far; something pushed us together because we kept missing each other. Now it's up to us to take it somewhere. For now, we shouldn't worry about it. If three weeks is all we have, I don't want to spend it worrying about when that time is up."

She seemed to take what I said well, because she stopped crying and actually smiled. "You're right," she laughed, "sorry for going all emotional on you." She pulled away from me and started to scoot back into her seat.

"It's okay, Sookie. I know exactly how you feel." I really did. I was also afraid of losing her, but as long as I had my way, I wouldn't. Then, out of nowhere, Sookie threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. It was an amazing kiss, heated and passionate. I gave as good as I got, and we kissed for a good few minutes before we needed oxygen and pulled apart.

"Feel better now?" I asked with a satisfied smirk. If she was like this the whole time, it was going to be an amazing three weeks.

"Oh, I'm feeling much better," she said as she watched me adjust my pants, put the car in drive and pull back out onto the highway, "much better."

We drove for about and hour when I got an idea. I asked Sookie if Pat Days were about acting on your impulses. She told me they were, and asked why I wanted to know.

"Just clarifying." I told her.

I waited a good 20 minutes then pulled into a secluded spot off the main road, and before she could ask me what we were doing, I was kissing her. She kissed me back hungrily, and as soon as I could tell that her breathing had changed, I pulled away and started the car.

"What the hell was that about?" she asked.

"I had the impulse to kiss you, and now I have the impulse to drive," I answered. I wanted to keep her wanting me all day long. If I had my way about it, tonight was going to be very fun.

By the time we entered a nearby town we were getting hungry, in more ways than one, but Sookie suggested a place to curb the food kind of hunger. She said they had the best burgers and ice cream around, and I'd never been there so we went. They were pretty busy, so we took our food to the park, and sat on the grass to eat. She was right, it was the best burger I had ever had. After we finished we decided to walk the path around the pond. We were holding hands and talking, she was telling me stories from her childhood about this park. I was feeling quite content when Sookie started to drag me off into a heavily wooded area.

I had no idea what she was doing, but I got a sense of excitement from it. Then she shoved me against a tree, and I got really excited. I gave her a questioning look, hoping that she was doing this for more carnal needs and not because she saw someone she didn't like and was trying to hide. She gave me a devilish smirk and kissed me hard. Her tongue was in my mouth and she started rubbing herself against me. I felt myself start to get hard, and I groaned into her mouth as my arms wrapped around her waist. I was just about to lift her up and push her against the tree when she pulled away abruptly, and started walking back to the path. I groaned at the loss of her and ran to catch up.

I turned her around to face me and asked, "Just where do you think you're going?"

"Oh, I just had the _impulse_ to continue our walk." She gave me a feigned innocent smile and continued on up to the path. I just stared after her realizing that she just got me back, and she got me back good. When she reached the path she turned around and said, "Are you coming?" I gathered my wits and replied with my best sex voice, "I will be," and I swear she visibly trembled. I'd have to keep that in mind.

By the time we got back to the car my hard-on had mercifully subsided. It took a lot of concentration for that to happen. It would start to get under control, then I would look at her and she would lick her lips, and I would be right back to where I started. I wondered if she knew how much power she had over me.

She asked me if I wanted ice cream, and it sounded pretty damn good to me so we went back to the drive-in. I went up to get the ice cream, strawberry flavor. They were still a bit busy so I had to wait a few minutes. I was trying to think of another secluded place I could take her, to get her back for that little stunt in the woods, when the employee handed me the ice cream.

I turned around to go back to the car, but Sookie wasn't leaning against it like she was when I last looked, and she wasn't sitting in it either. I looked around and spotted her in the arms of another man. I couldn't help the instant pang of jealousy I got. I knew that the man was probably some old acquaintance or something. That's nothing to be jealous about, I pushed it away. Now I was just curious as to why my woman was in the arms of another man.

I walked towards them and cleared my throat loudly. She turned to look at me, and I was sure I had a look of curiosity on my face. She let the other man go, came over to me to take her ice cream, and then she grabbed my now free hand and took me to the man. He looked familiar.

"Eric, this is Sam Merlotte, a very good friend of mine," she said, "Sam, this is Eric Northman, my boyfriend." Damn, that felt good to hear her say. I squeezed her hand reassuringly; I didn't want her to think I didn't want to be called that. I dropped her hand to shake Sam's, and then picked it back up again.

"Yeah, I know Eric," Sam said irritably, "You're renting out Sookie's old house aren't you?" _He knows me?_

"Yes, I am. I've been there just over a year now." Suddenly I realized how he knew me, and I became instantly uncomfortable. Sam owned Merlotte's, a bar and grill near here. I frequented it when I first moved here. I got quite the reputation as a womanizer, but I stopped all that about 5 months ago. It just wasn't the lifestyle I wanted to lead anymore, and I tried my best to forget I ever led it. I felt myself growing restless like I had in New York, and I didn't want to leave here. I loved it too much. Sam didn't ever seem to mind me before. Hell, I even had a good conversation with him once about where I'd lived and what I did for a living. But now he just saw me as a potential harm to his friend. He thought I'd just use her and leave her, and who could blame him. I didn't exactly have the best track record.

"Listen, Sam we're gonna go eat our ice cream before it melts all over us, but I want to see you soon," Sookie said, noticing the uncomfortable situation. I just hoped she didn't ask me to explain all this to her, but who was I kidding?

"Of course, I'm out at the bar most of the time. You can pretty much always catch me there. My number is still the same too." He told her.

"Where's the bar at?" she asked.

"Oh, Eric knows," he said, not even trying to hide the condescension in his voice. _Dick._

I felt Sookie tense a bit. "Okay, Sam. I'll come see you soon," she said and gave him another hug before we went back to the car and got in.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" she asked.

"Our ice cream is melting," I said. I really didn't want to explain to her that her old friend obviously didn't like me because I used to be the town slut, and was currently her boyfriend. I could see that he was protective of her, and he just didn't want to see her get hurt.

"You're not getting out of it that easily," she told me. I knew that already. Sookie wasn't the type to let things like that lie. I watched as she started licking her ice cream, and I instantly felt the effects south of the border. I decided to distract myself by enjoying my own ice cream, and then I caught her looking at me. I started doing some very suggestive things with my tongue while she stared at me open-mouthed. She seemed to get a hold of herself, and looked away from me to finish eating. I smiled triumphantly. I was beginning to think I had a pretty good amount of control over her too.

I had just finished when she turned back to look at me again. She reached for my hand, and I was confused for a second. She grinned at me, and then began to lick the melted ice cream off my hand. She was keeping eye contact. Holy shit, this was hot. I was already hard. Again. No girl had ever affected me like her. She was going to give me blue balls by the time this evening came around. She noticed that I had some on my index finger so she slowly licked it all the way to my fingertip, then took it into her mouth and sucked it clean. I was slightly aware that my jaw was hanging open, but I didn't care. She slowly took my finger out of her mouth and let go of my hand, and then she sat back in her seat like nothing happened.

I cleared my throat and adjusted my pants for what felt like the hundredth time that day, and started the car. We went to a gas station and filled it up before flipping the coin again. We went right this time and Sookie was quiet in the passenger seat. I think she was thinking about the situation with Sam, but out of nowhere she said, "Let's go see a movie." Hmm, Sookie and me in a dark room sounded like a plan.

I smirked at her, "another _impulse_?"

"What? I just got the urge to watch a movie with you," she laughed, "Is it a good idea?"

"I think it's a splendid idea," I said.

We got to the local movie theater and I bought us tickets to the next showing. I didn't care what we saw, and I don't think she did either. Plus, it was midday in the middle of the week, so there weren't going to be many people in the theater, regardless of what I chose. We both went to the bathroom, and I came out before her so I got us a bottle of water. I had a feeling we were going to need to hydrate. I waited outside the bathrooms for her and when she came out she was smiling her genuine smile. It was my favorite smile of hers. It told me that she was simply happy and content. We got in just as the previews were starting, and as soon as we sat down I pulled the armrest between us up and started kissing Sookie in earnest. For two whole hours, I was in heaven. We made out like two horny teenagers, only taking breaks for air and water.

When the lights came back on Sookie was straddling my lap. All five of the other people in the theater were staring at us. I was quite amused by an elderly couple that had very different reactions to the scene in front of them. I saw Sookie turn a deep shade of red as they all left, and as soon as they were gone we both burst into laughter. She got off my lap and pulled me to my feet, and we walked hand in hand out of the theater in quite good moods.

It was getting dark so we decided to go back to the house, but agreed that we would stop if we spotted anything along the way. My brain finally kicked in on the ride back and I realized that we were alone in a dark car. I reached over and laid my hand on her thigh. She looked at me questioningly.

"What?" I asked.

"You really want to start that while you're driving?"

"I am an excellent driver, and I know how to multitask." I gave her thigh a squeeze for good measure. She took off her seatbelt and scooted closer to me and for a second I thought she was giving in, and then she put her hand on my thigh.

"Two can play this game, Eric," she whispered in my ear. I shivered at her words. _What did I just get myself into?_

I responded by massaging her inner thigh, then working my hand up to the button of her jeans. She was definitely going to have to wear a dress or something next time we did this. It would make things much easier. I skillfully got her button undone and unzipped her jeans. I sneaked my hand into her pants and she moaned. I hadn't even done anything yet. I chuckled and began to lightly touch her through the fabric of her underwear. I could feel the heat coming off of her, and I wanted to pull the car over and take her right then. She threw her head back and moaned again and I was glad that she seemed to forget where her hand was. I didn't know if I could multitask _that_ well. _Scratch that!_ She remembered. I felt her hand brush along the bulge in my pants and I shifted and tried to look at her, but she told me to keep my eyes on the road. My hand never stopped teasing her. She began to rub my length through my jeans, so I moved aside the fabric of her underwear and my fingers found what they wanted. She was so wet and hot. I heard her let out a small noise as my fingers teased her. She definitely had the advantage here. I couldn't do much to her because the fabric of her jeans was too tight. I was just about to ask her to pull her jeans down a bit when she began rubbing me harder. It felt fucking amazing. Then I saw flashing lights. _Fuck!_

"Fuck!" I said aloud and pulled my hand from her pants and slowed down. Sookie realized what was going on and quickly fastened her pants and slid back into her seat. As I pulled off the road she started giggling.

"It's not funny!" I said. I was about to get a ticket with a major hard-on. It was not funny.

"It is so funny," she laughed.

"Stop laughing."

"You can't tell a laughing person to stop laughing, it won't work." Then she burst into another fit of giggles.

The officer came up to the window and the giggling ceased. I rolled down the window and his light shined in the car. He was an older man and was smiling so he either knew what we were doing, or this wasn't that bad.

"How are you two doing this evening?" he asked.

"Just fine, sir." I replied.

"Well, son, did you know you have a tail light out?" I relaxed.

"No, I didn't know that." I said.

"It's the one on the right. You make sure you get that fixed."

"I'll take care of it tomorrow, sir." I said and could tell that Sookie was ready to laugh again. This time I was ready to join her.

"You two be safe, have a good night," the officer said and walked back to his car.

As soon as the window was rolled back up we both burst into laughter.

"Okay, that was pretty funny," I admitted. We both laughed for a couple minutes, and then our gazes locked. I was staring into her intense blue eyes, and couldn't help but feel like she was looking into my soul.

"Take me home, Eric." she said. _Gladly._ I nodded and pulled back out onto the highway. I wanted nothing more in that moment that to take her home, to our room and make love to her all night. I drove as fast as I could without risking another incident with a police officer, and soon we were back in town. We pulled into the driveway, and I was out of the car and over to her side opening the door for her in to time at all. I surprised even myself with how fast I was. I helped her out of the car and she made to go to the trunk to retrieve her bags.

"We'll get it later," I said in a rushed voice.

"Someone's in a hurry," she replied.

"You have no idea."

We got to the front door and I had it unlocked in no time. As soon as we were in the house we were met with a very antsy Ansel.

"Shit, sorry boy." I said and gave Sookie an apologetic look. I had to take him out or we'd never make it back to the bedroom.

"Just take him, I need a glass of water anyway," she said and then reached up to kiss me lightly on the lips and whispered, "I'll be waiting for you."

I stood there and watched her walk away for a good twenty seconds before I heard Ansel scratch at the door. I took him out and closed the door behind me. I walked out into the yard to keep an eye on him as he took off to do his business. I heard someone walking on the drive and turned to see Bill fucking Compton coming towards me.

"What do you want, Compton?"

"I want you to leave Sookie alone." Was he fucking serious? I actually laughed.

"And why the hell do you think I would do that?" I asked.

"Because if you don't, I'll kick your ass." He was trying to be menacing. It wasn't working. I was not afraid of Bill at all.

"Okay, good luck with that." I said and turned my back on him.

"She said she wasn't staying here, but she did." He said. I turned back to him.

"Well that was an astute observation, Bill, congratulations."

"What did you do to her?" _Seriously?_

"What the hell are you implying, Bill?"

"She said she wasn't staying here, and then she did. Her car was here all night, and all day today. She wouldn't sleep with someone she just met. My Sookie's not like that."

"Well, first of all, things change. It's none of your damn business whether she stayed here last night at all, let alone why. And second, she's not yours anymore, she hasn't been for quite a while, and she never will be again. Move on, redneck."

He seemed stumped for a second, and then decided that insulting her would be the best way to proceed.

"Well, I guess she has changed if she's fucking an asshole like you. Tell me, Eric, did she do that thing while you're screwing where she…" he didn't get a chance to finish because my fist collided with his jaw and he stumbled backwards. I would have gladly hit him just for looking at her the wrong way, but he had definitely crossed a line. How the hell does a guy go from talking about a woman like she's a freaking angel to spewing dirty things about her? I was livid. If he cared about her at all, at any time in his life, he wouldn't have talked about her like that. Sookie deserved better.

"I'm warning you, Bill, and this is the only one you're gonna get. Don't you ever talk about her like that again, and don't bother her while she's here either. " His hand was holding his jaw and I could tell he was pissed. He charged at me and aimed for my torso. He was trying to knock me over, but it didn't work. Instead, I got him in a headlock as he tried punching me anywhere he could reach. I was vaguely aware that Ansel was barking at us when I saw the porch light come on. I heard the door open soon after and then came Sookie's voice.

"What the hell are you two doing?"

******

Okay, so now you know why Eric had Bill in a headlock and you sort of have an idea why Sam might not like Eric. Yay!

Thank you for all the reviews and alert adds! You guys make my day every time I see one! *passes out suckers*


	12. Chapter 12

Big, big thanks to FDM, my lovely beta. A big Happy Birthday to Meads, who is celebrating across the pond today!

Back in Sookie POV.

**************

Chapter 12

"What the hell are you two doing?" I yelled. Well, it was pretty obvious what they were doing, but that was the first thing that came out of my mouth.

Bill immediately stopped trying to punch Eric, but Eric didn't release his grip on Bill's neck. They were both looking at me like they got caught with their hands in the cookie jar, but Eric's gaze had a lot of anger behind it. Not towards me, but towards Bill. What the hell did Bill do?

"Eric," I said sternly, "let him go." He reluctantly released Bill, and managed to shove him away at the same time.

"What happened?" I asked. Bill decided to speak first, which meant he was probably going to lie. I knew him too well.

"I just came over here to say hello and he attacked me!" Eric rolled his eyes.

"Bill, when have you ever exchanged pleasantries with the neighbors at night?"

"Okay, well maybe I didn't come to say hello, but he threw the first punch." I gave Eric a stunned look. He gave me a slight nod, letting me know that Bill was telling the truth.

"Why?" I asked. I saw Eric take a deep breath.

"He was saying some very…unkind things about you and it angered me," He said gently, and I knew he was holding back.

I could only imagine what 'unkind' things Bill could have said. He was never one to speak ill of me, even after we broke up, so I was taken aback. I gave Bill a hurt look, because that's exactly how I felt. I had cared about him once upon a time and I knew he had loved me. Judging by how angry Eric was I knew whatever he said must have been bad, and I simply didn't want to know.

Bill's head dropped slightly before he looked back up at me and said, "Sorry, Sook."

"Go home, Bill." I said, "Go home and leave us alone." It was a bit harsh, but it was how I felt. I would have to find some time to have a talk with him soon. As much as I disliked him at that moment, I didn't want to leave things bad between us. It hadn't worked so far.

Bill looked sad when I told him to leave and said nothing more. He turned around and walked back to his house. As soon as he was inside I looked at Eric. He was staring at me cautiously. It was like he was worried I was going to cry or lash out or something. I wasn't going to shed any tears over something stupid Bill had done though. I wasn't upset with Eric either. He shouldn't have resorted to physical violence, but I wasn't that mad at him for it.

I walked past Eric to his car and began getting my things. It wasn't likely that we were going to have sex now. I just wasn't in the mood anymore, so there wasn't any reason to wait on getting my things. Eric came over to help me carry everything in, and once we got it all in the house I sat down on the couch feeling a bit deflated.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked.

"I'm fine," I said, "I'm sorry you had to deal with him."

"Don't apologize, Sookie. He's not worth it."

"Did he hurt you?" I asked. Bill was punching him awful hard.

Eric laughed, "I think I'll be fine."

"Okay, tough guy," I smiled, "what now?"

He smirked at me, "Well I can tell you're not in the mood anymore."

I frowned, "And whose fault is that?"

"Bill's," he answered without hesitation. I couldn't help it, I cracked up. Eric laughed with me.

I looked around the room and noticed that he had an extensive movie collection. There was a very large flat screen T.V. mounted on the wall, and below it was a set of shelves filled with DVD's.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" I asked.

"Sure. You can pick it out. The first two shelves are organized by genre, and then by how much I like each one in that genre. Then the next two shelves are organized into my own special groups. They're mood grouped." He said with a chuckle.

"Mood grouped?" I asked as I got up to look them over.

"Yeah, like when I'm in a bad mood and want to be cheered up, I go for the group on the top left." I noted that those were mostly Simon Pegg movies and smiled to myself. I watched Simon Pegg when I was in a bad mood too. Spaced was a must and I was pleased to see that he had it. It also had Monty Python movies and The Princess Bride. "Top right is for when I'm in a really good mood, and I just want to mellow out." I ran my fingers over the cases, The Shawshank Redemption, Rear Window, Casablanca. "The entire contents of the next shelf down are movies to watch when I don't want to think," Those were all comedies. I think he had all of Mel Brooks' movies there. "Then the bottom shelf is all seasons of T.V. shows and mini series sets." He had all my favorites. Oh man, were we made for each other or what?

I pulled out Spaced because the whole thing with Bill was getting under my skin and I was still a little mad about it. Spaced always cheered me up. I showed Eric my selection and he grinned really wide.

"You put it in and I'll go make us some popcorn," he told me.

"Sounds good," I said, and went about figuring out his system. I didn't have a flat screen yet and I wasn't completely sure how to get everything going, but I figured it out soon enough. The picture quality was amazing. I was sitting on the couch trying to decide which episode to watch, when Eric came back in and sat next to me with a big bowl of popcorn. I picked an episode and set the remote aside. Eric put his arm around me and I got as close to him as I could.

We ate the whole bowl of popcorn within two episodes and I promptly fell asleep on the third. I woke up some time later and the DVD screensaver was playing. I shifted a bit and felt Eric tighten his grip on me.

"Eric," I whispered and looked up at him. He was asleep, and my god was he beautiful. I don't think I'd ever seen anything as beautiful as this man when he was asleep. I hated to wake him up, but we couldn't sleep out on the couch all night. I gently ran my thumb across his cheekbone and said his name again.

His eyes opened slightly and said, "Hi," with a little rasp in his voice and smiled.

"Hey," I smiled back, "We need to go to bed. We fell asleep on the couch."

"But I'm comfortable," he replied. He was like a little kid, and it was adorable.

"Do you really want back issues tomorrow?" I asked.

"No," he laughed, "I'll just let Ansel out again and then I'll be back there."

"Okay," I said and kissed him lightly on the cheek. I pulled myself away from him, and made my way back to the bathroom to get ready for bed. When I went back to the bedroom I heard him come in with Ansel.

I crawled under the covers and waited for Eric. I listened to his footsteps coming down the hall, and my heart sped up and I felt the butterflies again. I needed to get a grip. He walked in the room and stopped when he saw me in the bed. There was a fleeting emotion that I couldn't recognize on his face, and then he shook his head slightly and went to retrieve his clothes. He took them with him to the bathroom, so I slid down in the bed and rested my head on the pillow. I closed my eyes and tried to let everything from the day that was bothering me slip away, so that I could rest. The stuff with Sam was really worrying me. I promised myself to go see him tomorrow and ask him what his problem with Eric was. I still felt weird about it though. Then there was Bill. Just thinking about it ticked me off and I started getting angry again. I may have thought some rather unkind things about Bill, but I never spoke badly about him to others. That he spoke ill of me at all, let alone to Eric, just pissed me off.

I heard the bathroom door open, and tried to calm myself down. I didn't need to push my worries off on Eric. He walked in the room wearing nothing but his flannel pajama pants. I forgot to breathe when I took in his body. He wasn't wearing a shirt tonight. I had suspected that he put that on for my benefit last night. His skin was slightly golden, but not tan. He had a very toned upper body that made me want to drool. It was just the right amount of muscle. Too much muscle was a turn-off for me. Eric was perfect. I saw him develop a quite smug look on his face, and realized that I was ogling him with my mouth open. I snapped my jaw shut, as my face got red with embarrassment. He turned off the light, then climbed in bed and snuggled up with me. As soon as we were touching, I felt all my worries about Sam and Bill fall away. None of it mattered. I was with Eric, the man of my dreams, and at that moment I couldn't have been happier.

When I woke the next morning we were still tangled up in each other. I snuggled with him for a while, until my bladder won out and I reluctantly got up to use the bathroom. I came back with an empty bladder and fresh breath, and climbed back into bed. I fell asleep again and woke up about an hour later. Eric was still asleep. As the grogginess subsided, my brain kicked into gear and I remembered what I had planned to do today. That would definitely mean no showering with Eric, or I'd never leave the house. I was about to get up to go take one, when I remembered how Eric had reacted yesterday to me not being there. I didn't want to put him through any part of that again so I tried to wake him up a bit.

"Eric," I whispered in his ear, "Eric, can you wake up?"

He murmured something and shifted slightly but did nothing more so I kissed his lips softly. That did the trick. He opened his eyes a little.

"Eric, you don't have to get up, but I'm going to go take a shower, okay?" I said.

He nodded slightly, closed his eyes with a smile, and rolled over. I chuckled faintly and got out of bed. I went to the bathroom and took another very unsatisfying shower, which definitely gave me some incentive to get this talk with Sam over with. I couldn't shower without Eric again.

I got dressed and dried my hair and when I stepped out of the bathroom I knew that Eric was up. I could smell something cooking. I walked out to the kitchen and patted Ansel on the head on my way past him. Eric was standing in front of the stove, and he was already dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a blue and black long sleeved flannel button up shirt. His messy hair was pulled back into a knot at the base of his neck. He heard me come into the kitchen and turned around to smile at me.

"Good morning, beautiful." He said.

"Morning," I replied, feeling a slight blush creep into my cheeks, "what are you making?"

"Homemade waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, and bacon on the side." Now that just sounded amazing.

"It smells delicious." I said as I sat on a stool at the island, watching him cook.

"Just wait until you try them. The waffles are from my mom's recipe. She used to make them all the time when we were kids." Eric hadn't ever really talked about his childhood. He always seemed to close off when it came up.

"How many siblings do you have?" I asked hoping he wouldn't close off again.

"Just a younger sister, Pam," he said, then turned around with a plate and set it in front of me. "Dig in," he said, and I knew that was all he was willing to share for the moment.

Everything looked delicious. He had arranged the sliced strawberries perfectly on the giant waffle. It was so sexy to me that he could do that. I took a bite of the waffle and moaned it was so good. It was perfectly crisp on the outside, and light and fluffy on the inside. I was about halfway done when he came to sit next to me with his plate.

Despite me being halfway done already we finished at the same time. He took my plate again, refusing to let me help him clean up, but I did anyway. It felt so nice being in this kitchen side by side with Eric, doing dishes and putting things away. I felt so at home, and I didn't think it was just because I was literally home. I was beginning to think that Eric was home to me.

We finished with the clean up and Eric asked me if I had anything planned for today.

"I want to go see Sam," I said and watched as his smile faded away and he looked down slightly. "You don't have to go with me."

His head snapped up, "You don't want me to go?"

"Of course I want you to go," I said. "I just don't want you to feel like you have to. I can tell you two don't like each other."

"I'll go with you." He said firmly. I wondered if it was his way of showing me that he would be with me through thick and thin, no matter how uncomfortable the situation was for him, or if he just wanted to keep an eye on what was going on. I preferred to think the former was the real reason.

"Okay, we should stop in for lunch and I can talk to him then." I said. Eric looked a little apprehensive then nodded his head in agreement. "But for now, would you like to go for a walk with me. I want to go to the cemetery to put flowers on Pat's grave." He offered me a warm smile and said, "Sure."

We got our shoes on and grabbed our jackets, and then we were out the door. When we stepped outside I told Eric to hang on for a second and went over to the side of the house. There used to be some flowers over there that bloomed for a couple of days at the beginning of spring and I was pleased to see they were still there. I picked them, and went back to Eric and took his hand in mine.

As we walked I told Eric some of my childhood memories from certain areas in town. I pointed out where I wrecked my bike, and showed him the nasty scar on my knee that I received from it. I showed him the spot where I fell in a ditch while playing and cut my arm on a drainpipe. It felt good to share those things with him, no matter how insignificant they were. When we walked past the City Hall and Post Office I got a couple of strange looks from people. I didn't know if they were recognizing me, or if it was Eric that was getting the looks. He didn't really seem like the type that would socialize with the people in this town. The weird looks reminded me of the look Sam had given him.

"Eric?" I asked tentatively. I didn't want to push him.

"Hmm?"

"Is there anything you think you should tell me before I talk to Sam?" I could see him tense up.

"Sookie, I don't even know if what Sam is going to tell you is the same thing I think he's going to tell you."

"But do you think there's anything that he could to tell me that I might be upset about because I'm hearing it from him and not you?" I wanted Eric to be able to tell me anything and if Sam was going to tell me something bad, I wanted to hear if from Eric first.

"Yes, but I don't want you to think less of me." What could Eric have done to make me think less of him?

I stopped walking and turned to look him right in the eyes. He looked apprehensive and vulnerable. "You can trust me with anything, Eric."

"Okay," he said and we started walking again. "Not long after I moved here I started going into Sam's bar a few nights a week. I felt like something was missing, like there was a hole that I needed to fill with something. I chose to fill up that hole with alcohol and women." Now it was my turn to tense up. I didn't want to think about Eric with other women. He continued. "Sookie, none of them meant anything to me and I'm ashamed that I was like that, but I'm not anymore. I haven't been to Sam's bar or any other bar in four months. I was getting restless with that lifestyle the same way I did before I left New York, and I didn't want to leave here because I loved it, so I stopped. Then I started having the dreams." He stopped walking and looked me in the eyes. "Sookie, in the two days that you've been here you've made me feel whole again. I don't want my past behavior to ruin what we have."

I thought that over for a second. I would have been fooling myself if I tried to think that Eric hadn't had many sexual partners. A man as gorgeous as him, around here? Forget about it. I'm surprised he didn't have to fight them off. How could I find fault in him for having a sexual history? Everyone does. I may have only been with two men, but it easily could have been more. At least I couldn't put a face on these women. Eric knew one of the men I had been with, and he lived across the street. What must that do to him? When it came down to it, it just didn't matter to me. I looked into his eyes and noticed that he looked really nervous. I was taking too long to answer. I threw my arms around his torso and hugged him tight. I think I surprised him because it took him a second to wrap his arms around me. I held onto him for a minute, then pulled back and looked him in the eyes again.

"It doesn't ruin anything for me." I said honestly. He relaxed and hugged me to him.

"Thank you," he whispered in my ear. He held me for a minute, and then we continued our walk to the cemetery.

When we got there I headed to the back corner where Pat's grave was, but I didn't see a headstone. I was instantly pissed off. Instead of a headstone there was a small grave marker that had sunk into the ground a bit. It was so covered with mud and weeds that you couldn't even read the name. Her family was supposed to get one years ago. People even donated money so that they could buy her one. They probably took the money when they moved away.

I dropped to my knees and set the flowers to the side as I began pulling at the grown over weeds, but they were tight and covered in mud so I couldn't get a grip on them. My eyes welled up with tears as I kept trying to clear it. I felt like I had abandoned her. Her family certainly did. All that was left for anyone to know of her was this pathetic little grave marker, and it was covered in mud and weeds. As the tears began to fall I felt Eric get on his knees beside me. I watched as his hands came into my view and began pulling the weeds away from the marker. He cleared them easily, and helped me wipe the mud away until you could read her name clearly. I was so grateful that I had him there with me.

"Thank you," I murmured.

"I'll just wait by the entrance," he said, then kissed my temple and got up.

There were so many things I wanted to say to her. I wanted to tell her what I'd been doing for the last five years. I wanted to tell her that I was living my dream, and that I had found the man of my dreams. I wanted to tell her that her father was still in prison, and that he would never be able to hurt anyone again. Mostly I wanted to tell her that I was okay, that I was happy. That's what she would have wanted to know, and somehow I felt that she did. My Gran used to tell me that those who love us never really leave, and I was beginning to think she was right. I liked the idea that Pat was still around, watching over me. I looked back at Eric standing by the entrance patiently and stood up. I looked at the marker again.

"I'll get you a good one Pat, I promise."

I walked back to Eric, and when he saw me coming he smiled warmly and held out his hand for me to take. I put my muddy hand in his and we walked home.

***********

Okay, I swear that was originally supposed to be much longer. It was going to go all the way into their trip to see Sam, but when I typed that last sentence I just felt like I should end it there. *facepalm* This is what happens when you write organically.

I promise the nookie is soon! Probably not the next chapter, but I swear it's soon!

Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing!

I'm going to go make some banana bread now, yurms...


	13. Chapter 13

I am sooooo sorry about the wait! The last bit of this chapter was giving me issues, and I worked a lot this week.

Thank you so much FDM, you really saved my ass on this one!

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Chapter 13

We got back to the house, washed the mud off our hands, made out on the couch for a while, and then it was time to go to Merlotte's. I was a little nervous about how I would handle this talk with Sam. If he was just going to tell me that Eric used to sleep around I would simply tell him to mind his own business, and that Eric had already told me about it and it didn't matter. I was afraid that he would press the issue, and I really didn't want to tell anyone else about our dreams. They would probably think I was high. The dreams were also something that I just didn't want to share with anyone but Eric.

Eric gave me an encouraging smile and we headed out to go to the bar.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

"Of course I want to. Sam needs to understand that I'm happy. It's not like he hasn't had his share of women, so he shouldn't judge you like that."

It only took about fifteen minutes to get there, and when we walked in I heard nothing but whispers. Again, I wasn't sure if this strange activity was because of me being back, or if it was directed at Eric. I didn't recognize anyone in here so I figured it was for Eric. He said he hadn't been here in four months so it must have been strange to see him back, and with a girl this time. Eric ignored it, so I did too. He led me over to a booth and let me slide in before he sat next to me. A waitress walked over to us looking at Eric like he was a piece of meat. I wanted to scratch her eyes out.

"It's good to see you again, Eric. This your sister?" She asked as she handed us menus. She was so not getting a tip.

"No, she's my girlfriend," he replied smoothly.

The waitress's face fell slightly, "Well, what can I get you two to drink?"

"I'll just have a water," I said. Eric ordered the same and she walked away.

"Eric, after I talk to Sam, let's never come back here." He laughed, put his arm around me and whispered, "Gladly" in my ear.

We looked over the menus and ordered our food. When it came out I asked the waitress, who still hadn't told us her name, if Sam was here. She said he was in his office, so I asked her if she could tell him that Sookie was there. She said she would and left us alone.

We were just about done when Sam came out to see me. "Sam, this place is great! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks Sookie, I'm glad you came in," he said warmly to me, "Eric," he nodded coldly at him. I frowned. He was just being plain old rude and it was ticking me off.

"Sam, would you mind if I had a talk with you when I finish?" I asked. I wasn't even trying to hide that I was upset with him.

"Sure, Sook. I'll be in my office. It's down the hall to the right."

"Okay, I'll be back there in a few."

"Great." Sam walked back to his office, and I finished my food.

"Eric, do you mind if I talk to him alone?" I asked. "I don't think having you in there is going to help matters any."

"It's fine Sookie, I'll wait out here until you're done." He stood to let me out of the booth, and kissed me gently on the lips before I walked back to Sam's office. I knocked on the door and heard Sam tell me to come in. As soon as the door was shut I laid into him.

"Sam Merlotte, I don't know who you think you are but Eric is my boyfriend and you have to stop being so rude to him." Sam's face had gone from a smile at seeing me to pure anger that I was yelling at him. We had never fought before.

"He's cheating on you Sookie!" He all but yelled at me.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked. I knew Eric wasn't cheating on me. We'd only been together for two days, but I wanted to know how Sam came to this conclusion.

"It didn't take long to figure it out. You introduced him as your boyfriend, and I remembered that when he first moved here he told me he was from New York. I figured you two met there and he was staying in your old place for some reason. The last e-mail you sent me said you had a boyfriend and that was before he moved here. He came in here a lot for a few months, Sookie. He always left with a different woman." He started out rushed, but by the end was trying to be gentle, like he was attempting to break it to me easily.

"Stop, Sam. Eric has only been my boyfriend for two days, and he hasn't cheated on me."

"Two days?"

"Yes, two days. In that last e-mail I was with a guy named Quinn. We broke up about six months ago. Eric told me about coming in here and what he did, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about it. It's in his past and it doesn't matter to me."

"Didn't you just get back two days ago?" he asked. Crap. This is where the explaining was going to have to come in.

"Yes." I said truthfully.

"How is he your boyfriend if you just met him two days ago?"

"He just is. He makes me happy, Sam. I am happier than I have ever been in my life and that should be all that matters to you. Now if that's all you wanted to warn me about, then we can continue this in his presence, and I expect you to be nice." I said as I turned to leave.

"He slept with Selah."

I stopped dead in my tracks. I hated Selah Pumphrey with ever fiber in my being. It started with a simple childhood disagreement. It was a preteen drama, and I don't even remember what it was about. Probably gel pens or something. Then Bill became my boyfriend, and she started calling me names behind my back. She claimed that she liked Bill and I was a bad friend for going out with him. I was remarkably mature for my age and told her she was being ridiculous, and that if she wanted to act that way that she should just not talk to me. Pat and Sam were the only people that stuck by me through all of Selah's bullshit through the years. Bill just acted like none of it happened.

When Pat died, Selah spread a lot of nasty rumors about her and her father that were completely untrue. I didn't understand how a person could do that to someone. When I found out, I tore through the school looking for her and when I found her…well, she hobbled away with two black eyes and a broken nose, and I got suspended. Selah was also the first person Bill slept with after me. She made sure everyone knew about it. Even though I didn't love Bill, it still hurt that he had chosen _her_. I moved away a few weeks later, so it didn't really matter. Now this. The man of my dreams slept with the one woman I disliked strongly enough to use the word hate. I didn't want to know the names of any of the women he had been with, but that one would probably do the most damage.

"Why would you tell me that Sam?" I asked quietly, turning around, the hurt evident in my voice.

"Because you have the right to know. Everyone else does, and I think you deserve to know the type of women he entertained." His voice was already wavering a little, like he knew he shouldn't have said it.

"I just told you that that man makes me happy. I just told you that I am the happiest I have ever been in my entire life and you tell me _that_."

"That's exactly why you should know! He's not a good guy, Sookie!" That did it.

"You know nothing about him, Sam! Nothing! He told me about his past here, and he didn't lie. It doesn't matter to me that he slept around. You've had your fair share of women, too. What if you found the woman of your dreams, and someone told her that you had slept with someone she hates? Would you be okay with her leaving you for it?" he dropped his head, "I'm happy, Sam! Why couldn't you just let it be?" He looked angry again, and I couldn't tell if it was towards himself or me. I couldn't take it anymore. I turned around and tore out of his office.

I got back to our table and Eric was instantly alarmed. He got out of the booth and put his hands on my shoulders. I shrugged them off. I couldn't do this here.

"What happened? What's wrong?" His voice was full of alarm.

I reached around him and grabbed my purse. "Let's go, Eric," was all I said before I turned around and headed for the door.

I quickly made my way to the car and got in. I was trying really hard not to cry. I had been crying way too much lately. I didn't know what to cry about. I was upset with Sam. He was my friend and I had never fought with him, and at that moment I didn't even want to see him near me. I saw Eric come out of the bar then, and he looked pissed. I hoped he hadn't fought with Sam. He got in and wordlessly started the car. He pulled out of the parking lot, and drove us home. Neither of us said a word the whole drive, and by the time we got to the house Eric's anger had subsided, and he had nothing in his eyes but concern for me.

I didn't want to tell him what Sam told me. I knew I would probably have to, but I didn't like that I was upset about it. It didn't matter to me that he had slept around, so it shouldn't matter to me that one of the women he slept with was Selah. I couldn't let it bother me. That wouldn't be fair to Eric. I wasn't mad at him at all. I just needed to try to get the images of Eric and Selah having sex out of my head. I looked up at the house, and suddenly got another flash. Eric and Selah in our room. In my childhood home. I actually shuddered.

"Sookie," Eric began gently, "please tell me what Sam did to make you upset."

How could I tell him? What could I tell him? _Oh, Sam just said that you slept with the only woman I hate, and now I can't get images of the two of you doing the nasty out of my head? _Yeah, right. I actually didn't want to tell him, because I didn't want him to think it mattered. I knew he wouldn't take that though. He trusted me with something that was hard to say, so I should trust him.

"I'll tell you Eric, I promise. I just need to think for a bit. I'm going to take a walk to the pond." Before he could respond, I got out of the car and started walking, making it clear I wanted to be alone. I noticed that it was getting a bit dark outside and the wind was picking up. It looked like it might rain. Great.

I needed to clear my head. I was generally a very organized person, and I hated having this many feelings and problems bouncing around. I made a list in my mind of all the things that were bothering me. I would go with the problem of Bill first, since it was the easiest. I would just have to talk to him, that's all there was to it. I needed to sit him down and tell him that he had been a very important part of my life for a long time, but that it was time for him to move on. That's really all I could do about Bill.

Next was Sam. We had just had our first fight, and boy was it a doozy. Why would he tell me something like that? The only thing I could think of was that he still had feelings for me. He probably thought he had a sure thing by telling me that Eric was cheating on me, and when he realized that wasn't going to work he pulled out Selah. He knew it would hurt me, and knowing Sam he was probably kicking himself right now for saying it. In his anger and heightened emotions he probably just blurt it out without thinking. I couldn't blame him for that. I was beginning to feel like I overreacted. I was feeling guilty for leaving like I did. It seemed like I would be having a talk with Sam too. I decided to give it a day or two, so that we could both calm down properly.

Then there was that last problem. Selah. Did it really affect my feelings towards Eric? I thought that over. I didn't feel any different towards him knowing what I did. If anything it made me hate Selah more. I wasn't mad at Eric for it. I was just upset that it had happened. I couldn't help but think that if we had met in New York or last Christmas, it wouldn't have happened. By assuming that, I was also assuming that our connection would have been the same if we had met without the dreams. I would like to think it would have been, but I couldn't say for sure.

Would we have taken the time to get to know each other? How well do I really know him? I could tell you his favorite movies, music, books. I could tell you that he gets quiet when he's nervous; that when he's truly happy about something his smile is just a bit crooked; that he can't hide the twinkle in his eye when he's in a teasing mood; that when he's upset or something bothers him, his brow is permanently creased and he runs his fingers through his hair a lot. I can tell you all the places he's ticklish; that he especially likes it when his shoulders and back are rubbed, and that when you do he makes this contented rumbling noise that comes from deep in his chest.

What I couldn't tell you were his parents' names, the name of the town he grew up in, whether or not he had any childhood pets, or if he had any nieces or nephews. I couldn't tell you what his first car was, or the name of the school he went to, or whether he had broken any bones as a child. I had no idea why he was closed off about his childhood, but somehow it didn't matter. It must have been something hurtful, and I didn't want to pry. I knew he would tell me when he was ready. The fact was that I knew _him._ I may not have known how he became the man he is, but I knew that I would. I just had to give him time.

You find love when you least expect it. It was another piece of Gran's sage wisdom that was imparted to me often. Wait, what was I thinking? Love? Did I really love him? The answer hit me like a ton of bricks. Yes. There really wasn't any questioning it, other than to wonder why they hell I hadn't seen it before. I think I knew, but I hadn't brought it to the surface yet. I hadn't let myself realize it.

Suddenly I felt guilty as hell for wanting to be alone. What the heck was my problem? I had the man I love, my dream man, ready to comfort me and I walked away to be alone so that I could think about my ex, my old best friend, and Selah "doorknob" Pumphrey. I could be in his arms right now, but instead I was sitting by a pond, watching storm clouds roll in. Unexpectedly, I wanted to cry for a different reason. I felt pained to even be away from him. I wanted to run back to the house and wrap my arms around him. I wanted to kiss him and make love to him. I never wanted to part from him.

I got up off the ground with a new sense of purpose. I took one last look at the pond, breathed a deep, cleansing breath, and turned to make my way back to Eric. I wouldn't have far to go because when I turned around I saw him. He was standing atop the slope that leads to the pond from the more flat part of the field. His hair was pulled from its knot and was whipping around from the increasing winds. I was struck by how much it reminded me of our first dream, when he came walking out of the mist and smiled at me. I wondered if he had been standing there watching me, or if he had decided to walk down to get me and just stopped when I got up. It didn't matter, there was less space between us and that was all that mattered.

Our eyes were locked, even though we were a distance apart and let me tell you, looking into the eyes of the man you love after you realize you love him, is just quite an experience. I felt such joy and happiness because I had found it, finally, and at the same time I was scared to death. I was so afraid that at any second I would lose it all. I wouldn't let that happen. I would hold onto it for dear life.

Eric started walking to me, while I seemed to be frozen in place. We held eye contact the whole time and when he got to me, he just stood there, looking me in the eyes. I knew what he was doing. He wanted me to make the next move. He was showing me that he was there, and he always would be; he came to me, now it was up to me to either let him in, or dance around everything. I wasn't in the dancing mood.

I slowly reached up to caress his cheek with my hand. He leaned into it much the same way he did the night we met. It was like he was savoring it again. Was he afraid he was going to lose me? I couldn't have that. I moved my hand to brush some wisps of hair from his face and let it rest at the back of his neck. His eyes were boring into mine now, almost begging me to say something. So I did.

"I love you." I don't think he was expecting it, because it took him a moment of looking shocked before his features relaxed, and pure joy swept across his face before his mouth came crashing down to mine. If I thought looking into his eyes after realizing I loved him was amazing, well the kiss was even better. I felt such happiness that I thought I might explode. I parted my lips, and our tongues moved against each other in a wonderful rhythm. I don't know how long we kissed for, but we only broke apart when it began to rain.

The first drops were light, and for a moment, I thought it might just sprinkle, but then it thundered and almost simultaneously began to pour. I actually loved getting caught in warm rain so I started laughing. Eric laughed with me as he grabbed my hand and began running towards the house. When we made it to the porch we were both soaked through and breathing hard, but still laughing. We took a moment to catch our breath, before I opened the door and pulled him inside.

I slipped off my soaked shoes at the door, and he did the same. Ansel was curled up on the couch, sleeping. We walked back to the bathroom, where I grabbed a couple of towels and threw one at his head with a laugh. He chuckled as I began wringing the excess water out of my hair. I looked down at my soaked clothes, "We need to get out of these clothes." I looked up at Eric, who was still standing there with his towel, not having dried his hair at all. He was staring at me with purpose. He looked so serious it almost scared me. Then he said it.

"I love you, Sookie." I felt like my heart was going to pop out of my chest it was beating so hard. I felt such bliss when he said it. He felt the same. He loved me. Before I even knew what I was doing, I was on him. I had dropped my towel and jumped up on him, wrapping my legs around his waist. I was kissing him hard, and he was reciprocating equally. My arms were wrapped around his neck and his hands were underneath my shirt, traveling up my back.

"Bedroom." I said. He didn't say anything, just turned around and carried me down the hall to the bedroom, before shutting the door behind us. He set me down on my feet and looked me in the eyes again. I understood. He didn't want this to be rushed, and I realized that I didn't either. It was the first time I had ever been with a man I loved, and I wanted to remember it. I nodded at him that I understood and he smiled as he bent to kiss me slowly. He set a relaxed pace and I followed it. I felt his hands run down my sides and settle on my waist. He began to pull my shirt up, and I raised my arms so he could pull it off. He dropped it at our feet, and then bent again to slowly kiss his way down my neck, past my collarbone to my breasts. His hand reached around behind me to undo the clasp of my bra, and then he pulled it off. When they were free I heard a sharp intake of breath that hadn't come from me. I smiled. It wasn't a secret to me that he liked them. He told me as much in our dreams once. His mouth latched onto one as his fingers teased the other, causing me to take my own sharp breath. He showed the other just as much attention before he straightened back up.

I began unbuttoning his shirt slowly; stopping to place a kiss on the newly exposed skin after each one came undone. When I got them all open, I ran my hands over his torso, and up to his shoulders. I slid them under the fabric of his shirt and ran them down his arms, pulling the shirt off as I went. I showed his nipples just as much attention as he did mine, and thoroughly enjoyed the groan that escaped his mouth when I lightly bit them. My hands found the button of his jeans and undid it before unzipping them. He did the same to mine and before long we were both standing there, completely naked, and I didn't feel the least bit shy about it.

Eric kissed me again, and we moved backwards until my legs hit the bed. I sat down and scooted up to lay on the pillows. Eric got on the bed, but didn't join me up on the pillows. He started down low and kissed his way up my body, stopping only to pay extra attention to certain sensitive areas and make me gasp. By the time he reached my lips I was breathing hard and perfectly willing to return his attentions, so I pushed on his shoulders and he rolled onto his back for me. I started at his lips and worked my way down. I stopped to nibble on his right nipple, as I wrapped my hand around his length. He was already completely ready for me and I was more than a bit intimidated. When his breathing became uneven, I stopped what I was doing to claim his lips again. I looked him in the eyes and said, "I love you, Eric. I need you." He responded by rolling me under him and kissing me hard. His hand made its way between my legs to check my readiness, and he practically growled when he found that I was more than ready. He reached over into his nightstand to retrieve a condom and was back above me less than a minute later, kissing me tenderly. He stopped to look me in the eyes again. "I love you."

I wanted to cry at his words. This was all just so perfect and I never wanted it to end. He gave me a questioning look and in response I reached down and guided him to my entrance. I wanted him. We looked into each other's eyes as he pushed into me. He moved slowly until he filled me completely, and when he did I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. He was bigger than I had ever had, but I wasn't in pain. It felt so good. Eric groaned and kissed my neck, before he braced himself above me and began to move, and it felt amazing. I wrapped my legs around him and matched his slow thrusts. There was nothing urgent about it. We kept eye contact, and moved together enjoying the sensations and the feelings flowing through us.

All too soon it became too much, and I knew I was close. Eric's breathing was becoming fast, so I knew he was nearing the edge himself. His hands found mine and we laced our fingers together. Our movements came quicker and quicker, and Eric brought his forehead down to touch mine. It didn't take much longer, and I cried out his name as I came, while Eric groaned loudly and stiffened above me as he had his release. We were both panting and covered in a sheen of sweat, as he pulled out of me and discarded the condom before pulling the covers up around us and snuggling me to him. I vaguely noticed that it had stopped raining. At least the rain got us in the house. Maybe the whole universe was in on us getting busy.

Eric held me, kissed me and told me he loved me and that I was perfect. I practically melted in his arms. I was trying to think of something to say back, but my brain wouldn't work. I felt like a boneless pile of mush. Well-loved mush, but mush nonetheless.

"You were perfect, Eric. You are perfect. I love you so much." I started laughing and I couldn't help it. I felt euphoric. Eric seemed a little startled that I was laughing, but laughed with me anyway.

"Why are we laughing?" he asked.

"Because we're happy." I said, giggling. He gave me his crooked smile and it made me laugh harder, because I knew what it meant. Then his smile turned into a smirk.

"Well then, we must get out of this bed." He said as he started to get up.

"And why must we?" I asked, holding onto his arm, attempting to keep him in bed. I already missed the feel of him next to me.

He leaned over me, and kissed me long and hard, before pulling away abruptly and saying, "Because I intend to make you happy in the shower too…over and over and over."

**********

Well...there it is...Umm...I'm gonna go hide now...*runs away*

*runs back quickly*

Don't forget that Generation Kill is re-airing on HBO tonight! Watch that shit! It's amazing!

*runs away again*


	14. Chapter 14

_I want to thank everyone for their kind words about the last chapter! I'm so relieved I didn't screw it up! I'm also very glad I was able to alert so many about Generation Kill being on. I love that show!_

_A big thank you to FDM, my remarkable beta! I'm so glad you enjoyed this one!_

_We're back in Eric POV now. Just a little rebuff: this starts with Sookie interrupting the fight between Eric and Bill, so you might want to rewind your brains a bit. Don't kill me, it goes past where we ended the last chapter!_

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Chapter 14

When Sookie came out of the house while Bill and I were fighting, I felt like I had gotten caught doing something I wasn't supposed to. She questioned us and Bill lied. That didn't surprise me one bit. Sookie saw right through it as well, and I was glad. When he told her that I had thrown the first punch I wanted to do it again, but I nodded in confirmation to Sookie anyway. There was no point in lying about it. She asked me why I did it and I couldn't tell her the exact truth. I didn't want to hurt her. Bill gave her a half-assed apology before she told him to go home.

After he left I was at a loss for what to do. I didn't know if she was upset or not. She started towards me and I thought she was going to lay into me, but she walked right past me to the car, and began gathering her things. I knew then that I wasn't getting lucky that night. I helped her carry her things inside, and as soon as we got everything in its designated location she sat down. She actually apologized to me for having to deal with the redneck. I was sure then that she was the kindest woman I had ever met. Who else do you know that would apologize for someone like Bill? Then she asked if Bill had hurt me. I had myself a laugh at that, then we both laughed at Bill's expense and I could tell her mood was lightening.

She asked if I wanted to watch a movie, and sitting in a dark room next to Sookie sounded great to me, so I agreed. I explained how my collection was organized and she seemed to like it. I was really happy when I saw what she had chosen. I never met other people who were into Spaced. I went to make us popcorn, and when I came back she was sitting on the couch picking an episode. I sat next to her and was very pleased when she got close to me. I put my arm around her and enjoyed her warmth. We finished the popcorn and I felt myself drifting away, and gave in when I realized that Sookie's breathing had evened out as well.

I was brought out of it some time later when I felt her caressing my cheek and saying my name gently. I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw were hers. She told me that we needed to go to bed and although I was perfectly comfortable, I knew she was right. I told her I'd let Ansel out, and then come to bed. It all felt very domestic, and I actually loved it. I came back in with Ansel and made sure to get him some water, and then headed back to the bedroom.

When I walked in the room she was under the covers, waiting for me. I stopped for a second because it was like one of my daydreams come to life. Before I knew she was real I would often daydream about her being here with me, and one daydream that I would have often, was seeing her waiting in bed for me. I had to shake the image out of my head. This wasn't a daydream anymore. I retrieved my pajama pants from my dresser and took them to the bathroom to change. I wasn't planning on wearing a shirt tonight. I mean, a few hours ago we were about to see all of each other, so why not let her see my top half naked? Plus, I really wanted to gauge her reaction to my body. Yes, I can be that shallow.

I finished in the bathroom and when I walked back into the bedroom I was very satisfied with her reaction. Her mouth hung open as her eyes raked up and down my body. Having a home gym has its benefits. When she realized what she was doing her mouth closed quickly and she blushed. I loved it when she blushed. I turned off the light, climbed in bed and pulled Sookie to me. As soon as we were touching she seemed to relax, and soon we were drifting away again.

I was having a nice dreamless sleep, the kind you wake up from feeling refreshed, when I heard someone calling my name. I tried to ignore it, and then I felt lips on mine and realized that Sookie was waking me up. She told me that she was going to go shower, but I didn't have to get up. All I heard was that I didn't have to get up so I rolled over to go back to sleep. As soon as I heard the water turn on my eyes snapped open. _Shit! _She just told me she was going to take a shower, and I didn't get up to go with her? What is wrong with me? I figured it would be poor form to barge in on her now, so I decided to get up and make us some breakfast.

I got dressed, and then went down to the basement, which also served as my gym. There was a spare bedroom with a bathroom down there and I really needed to go. I took care of that and grabbed a rubber band to pull my hair into a knot. I didn't feel like messing with it. I went back up to the kitchen and looked to see what I had. I spotted some strawberries and immediately decided to make waffles. I hardly made them anymore, but they sounded really good, and I wanted to show Sookie that I had skills in the kitchen.

I was almost done when I heard her come into the kitchen. She looked amazing, as usual. I didn't realize that a woman could look so good just wearing a shirt and jeans, but she did. It helped that the jeans hugged her curves in just the right way.

"Good morning, beautiful." I told her.

She blushed again. I wondered how many things I could say or do to get her to do that. She asked what I was making and sat on a stool at the island. That was when I slipped up. I mentioned my mother, and implied that I have siblings. She asked how many I had and I told her about Pam, my younger sister. I didn't want to talk or think about my family though, and her plate was done so I set it in front of her and told her to eat. Thankfully, she didn't press me for more information. I didn't like to think about my family, let alone talk about them. I especially didn't want to think about Pam. I practically abandoned her. No. I wasn't going there. I was with Sookie and planned on being happy for the next three weeks. I knew I would have to tell her about my family eventually, but right now was not the right time.

I finished my plate and sat next to her. When we finished I went to clean up and refused to let her help me, but she did anyway. I was getting that domestic feeling again. It was like we'd been doing this for years, and would be doing it for many years to come. When we finished up I asked her what she wanted to do today. She told me she wanted to go see Sam. _Fuck!_ When she said I didn't have to go, I thought she meant she didn't want me to go. Did she figure that he was going to tell her something bad, and didn't want me there? I felt stupid when she assured me that she wanted me with her. She was just trying not to put me in an uncomfortable situation. Seriously, she was too good for me. She wanted me there, so I would go. That's all there was to it. I didn't care how uncomfortable I would be, and I knew I definitely would be.

Sookie wanted to go in for lunch, which meant I would have to actually go in and sit down for more than an hour, and be around all those people that though ill of me. She wanted me there. I would go. She asked me to go with her to see her friend's grave, so we got our shoes and jackets and left. She went to the side of the house and picked some flowers, and then we were on our way.

Along the way Sookie told me about her childhood, stopping to show me where she had a bad bike wreck, and where she fell into a ditch, and the scars she received from them. I could tell she enjoyed sharing with me, and it made me feel guilty. I wanted to tell her a lot of things about me, but I didn't think I could do it here. I wanted to show her my home in Sweden. I wanted to show her where I went to school, and the places I used to go all the time. To do that would mean that I would have to go back. I didn't want to go back. I left because of more than a broken heart. I was shaken out of my thoughts by Sookie's gentle voice and I was immediately calm.

"Is there anything you think you should tell me before I talk to Sam?" Now I was tense again.

"Sookie, I don't even know if what Sam is going to tell you, is the same thing I think he's going to tell you."

"But do you think there's anything that he could to tell me that I might be upset about, because I'm hearing it from him and not you?" She was right. If he was planning on telling her about my old habits and I didn't tell her first, she would probably be upset with me for not trusting her with it. I was afraid it would diminish her good opinion of me.

"Yes, but I don't want you to think less of me."

She stopped me and looked me in the eyes. "You can trust me with anything, Eric." I knew that she was telling the truth, and I knew I had to tell her. So I did. I felt her tense up and felt horrible. I don't think I was ever more ashamed of my past than at that moment. When I was done talking I just stood there, anxiously awaiting her response. I could tell she was thinking it over, and I would have given anything to have been able to read her thoughts at that moment. I prepared myself for the worst. I was expecting her to be upset, to tell me that she couldn't be with a guy like me. What I wasn't expecting was what I got. She wrapped her arms around me tightly, catching me off guard. It took me a second to realize that she was hugging me, and then I wrapped my arms around her. I was still unsure if this was a good hug or a bad hug. Then she pulled back, and told me that my past didn't ruin anything for her. To say I was relieved would be an understatement. I embraced her again and held her for a minute before we continued our walk.

We got to the cemetery shortly thereafter, and I followed Sookie to a corner in the back. She stopped at a spot with no headstone and stiffened up. She seemed to be pissed about something. When she dropped to her knees, and started pulling on some weeds, I saw the problem. Apparently Pat never got a proper headstone, and weeds and mud were covering her marker. That pissed me off too. I hadn't known Pat, but I knew she was a good enough person to leave quite an impression on Sookie. She deserved more than what she got. I noticed that Sookie was struggling to pull the weeds up and had started crying, so I got on my knees next to her and helped her clear the weeds and mud away. I wanted to give her a moment alone, so I told her I would wait by the entrance.

I started to watch her, but it seemed like she was having a private moment and I felt like I was intruding so I turned around. I let my mind wander. I told her the truth and she still accepted me. I firmly believed that if any other woman had a problem with my past I would have told them too bad. With Sookie though, if she hadn't been okay with it I don't know what I would have done. I couldn't believe that I had lived this long without her. Her mere presence calmed me. No one had ever made me feel that way. She was special, and I planned on holding onto her for as long as I could. I glanced back into the cemetery and saw her coming. I smiled at her, took her hand, and we walked home.

When we got back to the house we washed our hands, and Sookie surprised me again by initiating a rather hot make-out session on the couch. I was really beginning to think this woman was made for me. All too soon it was time to go to Merlotte's. I could tell she was nervous, so I tried my best to encourage her. She needed to talk herself through it, so I asked her if she was sure she wanted to do it. That was all it took for her to convince herself. I smiled inwardly that I knew her that well.

When we got there I mentally prepared myself. I hadn't set foot into this bar in over four months. It had a lot of regulars; a lot of people who knew what I used to come here for. I just hoped that they could keep their opinions of me to themselves. When we walked in I heard a lot of whispers, and could only hope that Sookie wouldn't get too uncomfortable. We sat down in a booth side by side and a waitress came over. I recognized her, but I knew I hadn't slept with her. She was quite rude, asking if Sookie was my sister. I informed her that Sookie was my girlfriend, knowing that within minutes the whole bar would know. We ordered our drinks and the waitress stalked off. I was quite pleased when Sookie expressed an interest in never going there again.

When we got our food Sookie asked the waitress to tell Sam she was there and soon enough he came out to see her. He was quite courteous to Sookie but, as expected, cold towards me. I couldn't blame him; he was protecting his friend. Sookie, however, didn't have a single problem showing him she was angry with him for it. She asked if she could talk with him and he told her where his office was.

Sookie finished eating and went back to Sam's office for their talk. She had asked me if I was okay with her going by herself. I didn't prefer it, but I'm sure if I had gone with her that Sam would have asked me to leave while he talked to her.

Sookie wasn't gone two minutes before a woman walked up to me. I had slept with this one. She was one of those women that got attached after you slept with her. She tried telling everyone that I was her boyfriend afterward. I had to blatantly leave with another woman in front of her to get her to back off. I felt sort of bad about it now.

"So, Eric, I hear you have a girlfriend," she said venomously. "I hope she knows what you're like. It would be a shame to have to tell her anything that would hurt her feelings."

"Yes, she is my girlfriend. Yes, she knows about my _past_. Anything else?" She gave me quite an evil look and left me alone. I had to refrain from looking around for fear of going off on some people. I finished eating, paid the bill, and then continued to wait for Sookie. About five minutes later the whole restaurant heard loud voices coming from the back. Sookie and Sam were arguing, and it was taking everything in me not to burst into that office and get her out of there. I had to let her handle it. I would make things worse if I went back there.

I was about to give up my resolve when I heard the loud bang of a door slamming. Sookie came rushing up to the table. and I was on my feet in an instant. I put my hands on her shoulders and she shrugged them off. That simple movement felt like a knife in my gut. What the hell did he tell her? I asked her what happened, and all she did was grab her purse and say, "Let's go, Eric." She took off out the door, not looking at anyone on the way. They all stared at her until she was gone, and then their gazes fell on me. I had never been more disgusted with people in my life.

Sam came up the hallway and I was on him immediately. "What the hell did you say to her?"

"Back off, alright," he said in an uneven voice, "I fucked up. I said something I shouldn't have and she may not forgive me for it, so just back off. At least you still have her." Then he turned around and walked off. Well, hell. That wasn't what I was expecting. Everyone was still staring at me so I grabbed my jacket, and left before I got pissed enough to tell them all off.

Sookie was waiting in the car and looked like she wanted to cry, but she wasn't so I didn't press her for information. We probably both needed to calm down a bit. I drove us home wordlessly, and by the time we got there I was pretty calm. I was really worried about Sookie, though. I could tell how upset she was.

"Sookie," I said gently, "please tell me what Sam said to make you so upset."

I watched as she visibly tensed up and closed off. I hated this. I wanted her to be able to talk to me. I didn't know what to do.

"I'll tell you Eric, I promise. I just need to think for a bit. I'm going to take a walk to the pond." With that she got out of the car and started walking to the field. I didn't even get the chance to respond. Her actions twisted that knife in my gut. She wanted to be alone. I pulled my hair out of its knot and ran my fingers through it. I sat in the car for a few minutes just staring at the field, our sanctuary. I kept hoping she would come running back and tell me she loved me and ask me to make everything else go away. I would gladly do it. Wait. I wanted her to tell me she loved me? Seriously? I did. I really wanted a woman I had only met two days ago to tell me that she loved me, and I wanted to tell her I loved her right back. As soon as I admitted it to myself I knew it was the truth. I was in love with Sookie. It didn't matter that we had only physically met two days ago. I knew her already, because of those dreams. In those amazing dreams, I had found the most remarkable woman, and I had fallen in love with her.

I had to go after her. I know she said she would tell me what happened, and I realized that she probably wanted time to think, but I had to be there for her. She had to know that I would always be there for her. I got out of the car and started walking, becoming more and more nervous with each step. What if she didn't love me back? I told myself that it wouldn't matter, but the fear of rejection by Sookie hung heavily in my mind. All I could do was tell her how I felt, and hope like hell she returned the sentiment.

When I got to the top of the slope that leads down to the pond, I saw Sookie. She was standing in front of the pond and even though it wasn't really like our first dream, that's what it reminded me of. I felt like everything was new and different. She turned around and stopped immediately when she saw me. She appeared startled to see me standing there, and then our gazes locked. My breath hitched in my throat. Suddenly I had to be near her. I began walking towards her and she stayed where she was, letting me come to her. When I reached her, I stood in front of her waiting for a response. I came this far and I didn't think I could admit that I loved her without a little encouragement.

She reached up to put her hand on my cheek and I leaned into it, savoring it the same way I had when I wasn't sure she was real. She brushed my hair from my face while I was silently begging her to say something, to say anything, and she did.

"I love you."

I was not expecting that at all. I was going to come tell her the same thing and was making myself crazy thinking she didn't feel the same, and she told me first. I felt myself relax, and then by brain caught up to me. I crushed my mouth to hers and had the best kiss of my life. Apparently that's what love will do to you. All I could feel was happiness as we kissed. I knew that saying "I love you too" would have been the proper response, but then it would have felt like a contest. As if I was waiting for her to say it so that I could. I wanted to wait for the perfect moment. We kissed for quite a while, and only stopped when it began to sprinkle.

I pulled away for a second, hoping it would pass, and then it began to pour. Sookie started laughing, and I was so happy that I laughed with her. I grabbed her hand and we ran all the way back up to the house. We were soaked when we got to the porch, but still laughing. She opened the door and pulled me in the house, where we took off our shoes before heading back to the bathroom. She grabbed a couple of towels and threw one at my head, laughing. I watched her as she dried her hair. I was mesmerized. She had just told me she loved me, and instead of worrying over whether I felt the same or what this meant for us, like most women would, she was drying her hair with a big, content smile on her face. Her biggest concern at that moment was getting out of her wet clothes. She looked up at me and I knew that this moment was as perfect as any.

"I love you, Sookie." Damn, that felt so good to say. I watched pure joy cross her face and then, without warning, she jumped on me, wrapped her legs around my waist, and kissed me hard. She wrapped her arms around my neck and my hands found their way underneath her wet shirt.

She only said one word, "Bedroom". I was more than happy to comply. I carried her down the hall and into the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind us. She was sucking on my neck and I realized that if I didn't slow things down now, I wouldn't be able to later. I set her down in front of me and looked her in the eyes. She understood what I was doing. I wanted our first time to be slow and perfect. It seems like such a chick thing to say, but most guys have already had sex with a woman before they love her. I'd never been in love before the sex, and I wanted to take it slow. There was no reason to rush it. I kissed her slowly before taking her shirt off, then her bra. I think I may have gasped when I saw her breasts. They were perfect. I showed them both a lot of attention, and straightened back up so that Sookie could undress me.

She unbuttoned my shirt slowly, kissing the exposed skin after each one. She pulled my shirt off, and then showed my nipples as much attention as I showed hers. I felt her hands unbutton my jeans and unzip them, so I did the same to her and not a minute later we were standing in front of each other, completely naked. She looked magnificent. I had a stray thought about trying to convince her to walk around the house nude. I kissed her lips again and we moved to the bed. She slid up to lay on the pillows, while I started down at her feet. I slowly kissed my way up her body, enjoying every single thing she had to offer. I took my time, kissing, licking, and teasing, enjoying the moans and gasps that escaped her mouth. She was already breathing hard when I got to her lips and pushed on my shoulders so she could show me some attention. I rolled onto my back for her and she kissed her way down my body. She nibbled on my nipples just the way I liked and when I felt her hand wrap around me I gasped. She only stroked me a few times before I was breathing unevenly. She stopped what she was doing and kissed me, and then looked me in the eyes and said, "I love you, Eric. I need you." That was all she needed to say. I grabbed her and rolled her under me while kissing her. My hand felt between her legs and I growled when I felt how hot and wet she was. I grabbed a condom from the nightstand and rolled it on, and then took my place above her to kiss her before telling her I loved her again. I didn't think I would ever tire of saying it.

I gave her a questioning look before continuing, and in answer she took my length in her hand and guided it to her entrance. We looked into each other's eyes as I slowly pushed into her. She felt amazing. She was so hot, and tight, and wet. I was actually afraid I was going to hurt her, so I moved as slowly as I could until I filled her completely. I groaned at the feeling of being completely inside her, and kissed her neck to distract myself while she relaxed around me. I braced myself above her and began to slowly thrust in and out of her. We moved slowly together, and there wasn't anything urgent to it. We just enjoyed the feel of each other.

I heard her breathing pick up gradually and I knew she was getting close. I was too. I found her hands and knotted our fingers together. My thrusts were coming much faster now, and she was grinding her hips into mine with each one. I brought my head down to touch our foreheads together and not long after that, Sookie cried out and clung to me as she came. Her orgasm triggered mine and I stiffened above her and groaned loudly. She rocked her hips into mine, riding out the aftershocks. After they subsided I pulled out of her, immediately missing her warmth, and discarded the condom. I brought the covers up around her shivering body and pulled her in close to me. I held her and kissed her. I told her how perfect she was.

"You were perfect, Eric. You are perfect. I love you so much." With that, she started laughing and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why, but I laughed with her. Her laughter was contagious.

"Why are we laughing?" I asked.

"Because we're happy." She told me. She was right. What better reason to laugh, than because you were simply happy. Then I got an idea.

"Well then, we must get out of this bed." I said as I started to get up.

"And why must we?" she asked, not letting go of my arm in a feeble attempt to keep me in bed.

I leaned over her, and kissed her long and hard, before pulling away abruptly and saying, "Because I intend to make you happy in the shower too…over and over and over."

I was quite satisfied with the look on her face when she took in my words. I got out of the bed and walked to the door. When I looked back I caught her blatantly staring at my ass with her mouth hanging open.

"See something you like?" I asked.

"Oh, yes." She said dreamily. "I knew it looked good in your jeans, but seeing it naked…wow."

"Let's go get in the shower and I'll let you wash it for me." I said as I walked to the bathroom. I heard her come in a couple seconds after me and she was wearing one of my shirts.

"Why did you put clothes on if you're just going to take them off again in a minute?"

"I didn't feel comfortable walking through the house naked." Well there went trying to convince her to walk around naked. I chuckled slightly, and then bent over to turn the water on, flexing my muscles for her benefit. When I looked back at her, she was staring at my ass again with her head tilted to one side. I laughed openly, and she snapped back to reality and blushed when she realized what she was doing.

I got the spray going then turned around to kiss her. I pulled my shirt off her and led her into the shower. I was right. It was so much better showering with Sookie. We would probably go through way too much water this way, but the shower would be much more satisfying.

This shower was way too small for the both of us though. Next time we would have to shower downstairs. There was a big Jacuzzi tub down there, and a better shower. We took turns getting our hair wet and she let me wash hers. I was a bit too tall for her to do mine properly so I did it fast, and then handed her the soap. She lathered up her hands, and without hesitation reached around me to massage her favorite asset. Her hands on me felt really good, and I was beginning to show just how much I enjoyed it. She giggled a little.

"I can't believe you're ready again."

"What can I say," I smirked "this is what you do to me." She didn't say anything else, and continued to lather me up. When I was thoroughly clean I took the soap and washed her until she was as well.

She looked at me quizzically when I got down on my knees and began planting kisses on her stomach. Thankfully, whoever designed this shower had put a little ledge in at just the right height. Without warning I lifted her lower body up onto it so that she was at just the right height for me to have some fun.

"Eric!" She squealed, "What are you do…oh!" She didn't talk much after that. The only thing that came out of her mouth was my name, a few gasps, and quite a lot of moaning. After giving her three spectacular releases, I stood back up and held her to me until she felt she could stand on her shaky legs. After a few minutes she caught her breath, and then surprised me by getting down on her knees and returning the favor eagerly.

After we cleaned each other up again we emerged from the bathroom clean, sated, and glowing. She dressed in front of me, and it was sexy as hell. It was another one of those domestic moments that I was enjoying so much. She put on a pair of underwear and didn't hesitate to grab one of my shirts to wear. I didn't mind at all. I just pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt, and we headed out to the kitchen to find something to fill our empty stomachs. Sookie set about making us sandwiches, while I took Ansel out and got him some food. When I came back she was sitting at the table and had already started in on her sandwich. I smiled at her when I saw how much meat she had put on mine. She knew me well. We ate in silence, and when we were done I could tell that she wanted to tell me something.

"What is it, Sookie?" I asked taking her hand.

"I should tell you what Sam told me." She paused for a second, and I squeezed her hand. "At first he tried to tell me that you were cheating on me. He thought that you had been my boyfriend since you moved here, because the last time we had spoken I was dating someone and that was just before you moved here. I set him straight on all that." She stopped again and grimaced a bit, like whatever she had to say next left a bad taste in her mouth. I stayed silent and let her work through it.

"I was about to leave his office when he felt the need to tell me the name of one of the women you had been with." I felt horrible and even more ashamed of my past. "I have a rather long and hurtful history with this girl, and Sam knew it. He knew it would hurt me and we got into a fight. It really shook me because he and I had never fought before. I'm going to give him a couple days to cool off, and then I'm going to have a talk with him. I can't leave things like this."

"Sookie, what was the woman's name?" I had to know. I don't know why, but something in me was bursting to find out.

She took a deep breath and said, "Selah Pumphrey." I almost laughed.

"Seriously? Selah? Sookie, I never slept with Selah. She was always all over me, but I couldn't ever stand to be around her."

"What?" She looked shocked.

"I never slept with Selah. She probably ran her mouth off after I quit going to the bar. Do me a favor and ask Sam when this supposedly happened. I'm sorry that's what made you so upset. It never happened."

Sookie paused for a moment and just stared at me. "Thank God!" She exclaimed as she slumped back in her chair and let out a laugh. "I feel so dumb for freaking out now. I kept picturing the two of you together in our room, and it made me want to bleach everything."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that. I never brought a woman here." I said.

"You didn't?"

"No, this place is like my safe haven. I wouldn't taint it with something meaningless like that."

"Then why do you have condoms in your bed stand?" She asked. She wasn't accusing me of anything, she was merely curious.

I shrugged, "It was really the only place to put them after I stopped going to the bar."

She laughed long and hard and I laughed with her. "Happy again?" I asked.

"You have no idea." She said as she kissed me. She stood up and led me back to the bedroom by the hand, and then she proceeded to show me just how happy she was before we fell asleep, tangled up in each other, sated and happy.

**********

_Well, dang that was a bit long! _

_So, tell me, is everyone relieved he didn't sleep with Selah? I wouldn't do that to you guys! I do wonder if you all are curious about his past with his family. I'm not sure how that's coming across. _

_Thank you all for reading!_

_Reviews are like showers with Eric...*thud*_


	15. Chapter 15

_Here we are, Chapter 15. SPOV. I'll see ya when you're done!_

_*******_

Chapter 15

"_Because I intend to make you happy in the shower too…over and over and over."_

I have no idea what my face looked like when he said that, but I know what I felt. I felt dazed, loved, aroused, and happy among other, more minor things. Then he turned around, and I saw his ass. Wow. I mean. Wow. That thing should win contests. It should be on display somewhere. Well, scratch that, no one should see it but me. It was my ass now. Mine. Was I being possessive of an ass?

"See something you like?" he asked. I was too out of it from the high of amazing sex to care that he caught me staring, so I admitted it. Then he said I could wash it. Hello! I'm there! I jumped out of bed and grabbed one of his shirts from the hamper, and pulled it on as I walked through the door. I was just going to take it off again, but I grew up in this house and it just felt weird to be walking around naked.

When I entered the bathroom after Eric he asked me why I put on clothes so I told him my reason and was a bit confused by the tiniest flash of disappointment I saw on his face. He didn't expect me to walk around nude did he? I lost my train of thought when he bent over to turn on the water, flexing his muscles. I stared at it again. I couldn't help it. It was too good. This time I was shaken out of it by Eric laughing. I felt my cheeks get hot as I blushed.

He got the spray on, and then turned to kiss me and pull his shirt off of me. He helped me into the small shower and I found myself wishing we were in my shower back in New York. I had lucked out when I found my apartment. The shower there was huge. We would fit in it comfortably. We got our hair wet, and Eric washed mine for me. He went slow, really massaging my scalp and it felt great. He was too tall for me to do his, so he did it quickly himself. He handed me the soap and I was in seventh heaven. I couldn't wait to get my hands on that gorgeous butt of his. I lathered my hands up and reached around him to massage it. As I made sure it was thoroughly clean, I felt something rather large poke me in the stomach. I couldn't help but giggle.

"I can't believe you're ready again." If he was going to be like this all the time, I would have my work cut out for me.

"What can I say," he smirked "this is what you do to me." I didn't say anything. I didn't want to tell him how aroused I got just seeing his naked butt. Being this close to him, naked and wet, was just about killing me. I focused on making sure he got clean, thoroughly clean. When I finished he took the soap and did the same to me. I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it as much as I had enjoyed washing him.

Then he surprised me by getting on his knees and kissing my stomach. I was trying to figure out what he was up to, when out of nowhere he lifted me up and set me on the little ledge in the wall of the shower.

"Eric!" I screamed, "What are you do…oh!" Oh was right. More like Ohmygodholyshitdontstop! I'm not sure what came out of my mouth after that. All I knew was that Eric was multitalented, and that I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I think I came three separate times, but I can't be sure. It all felt so good. He stood up and held me too him until I could stand. He had the most smug look I had ever seen in my life on his face, but I was too relaxed to care. After I caught my breath and was able to stand without falling over, I got on my knees and enthusiastically showed him just how multitalented I could be. He groaned loudly, and said my name over and over in varying degrees of intensity. I couldn't help but look a bit smug myself afterward.

We finished cleaning each other up, and got out of the shower. The water had lost it's warmth somewhere between me getting my strength back and Eric yelling my name. We went to the bedroom to get dressed and I just put on a pair of underwear and one of Eric's shirts. If the crooked smile on his face was any indicator, I didn't think he minded. He pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a shirt, and we went to the kitchen to scrounge for food. We decided on sandwiches because we wouldn't have to cook anything and they were easy to throw together. I made them while Eric took Ansel out and got him some food. I put a lot of meat on his. I had a feeling he would be the hungry-after-great-sex type. I was sitting at the table eating when he came back in. While we ate I thought that it was time to tell him about what happened with Sam. Apparently Eric could tell I wanted to say something because he asked me what was wrong and took my hand.

"I should tell you what Sam told me." I paused while I tried to think of the best way to tell him and he squeezed my hand encouragingly. "At first he tried to tell me that you were cheating on me. He thought that you had been my boyfriend since you moved here, because the last time we had spoken I was dating someone, and that was just before you moved here. I set him straight on all that." I knew I rambled through it, but I didn't want to give him time to get mad about any of it. I really wasn't looking forward to telling him about the next part, but I knew I could do it.

"I was about to leave his office when he felt the need to tell me the name of one of the women you had been with. I have a rather long and hurtful history with this girl, and Sam knew it. He knew it would hurt me and we got into a fight. It really shook me because he and I had never fought before. I'm going to give him a couple days to cool off, and then I'm going to have a talk with him. I can't leave things like this."

"Sookie, what was the woman's name?" He seemed anxious to find out, so I took a deep breath and told him. I couldn't look at his face. I was too afraid I would see pleasure cross his features. Who knows, maybe Sleazy Hump-for-Free was good in bed.

"Seriously? Selah? Sookie, I never slept with Selah. She was always all over me, but I couldn't ever stand to be around her."

"What?" I was shocked. Really? I was almost afraid to believe it. I had never questioned that it might not be true.

"I never slept with Selah. She probably ran her mouth off after I quit going to the bar. Do me a favor and ask Sam when this supposedly happened. I'm sorry that's what made you so upset. It never happened."

I stared at him and looked into his eyes. He was telling the truth. "Thank God!" I exclaimed and slumped back in the chair, letting out a laugh. "I feel so dumb for freaking out now. I kept picturing the two of you together in our room, and it made me want to bleach everything." I was beyond relieved. I was elated.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that. I never brought a woman here," he said.

"You didn't?"

"No, this place is like my safe haven. I wouldn't taint it with something meaningless like that." Good to know.

"Then why do you have condoms in your bed stand?" I asked. I wasn't trying to accuse him of lying; I knew he wasn't. I was merely curious as to why they would be there if he never brought women here.

He shrugged, "It was really the only place to put them after I stopped going to the bar."

I laughed at the practicality in his answer. Then I laughed because he laughed with me.

"Happy again?" He asked.

"You have no idea." I said, and then kissed him. I got up and took his hand, leading him back to the bedroom. We pulled off our clothes and fell into the bed, and I showed him exactly how happy I was and how much I loved him. We fell asleep with our limbs intertwined, satisfied and content.

I woke up before him again the next morning. I was tucked into his body, and his arm was around me. We were both still naked, and feeling his naked body next to mine, knowing what was under the sheets, it got me all hot and bothered. I got the urge to wake him up in a special way, but I had to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth first. I couldn't do it with morning breath and a full bladder. After I took care of my needs, I crawled back in bed with him and tried to figure out exactly how to go about this. I straddled his naked body and began to run my hands over his impressive chest. I lightly tweaked his nipples and giggled when I felt him responding below the belt. I bent to kiss his neck, and then his lips. I felt his hands rest on my hips as he began to respond to the kiss. I broke away suddenly.

"Your breath is minty." I told him.

"Thank you," he smirked.

"But you just woke up." He laughed, and then took hold of my waist and rolled me under him. He began to kiss my neck and I stopped thinking.

A half-hour later we were lying next to each other, covered in sweat, breathing hard, and smiling broadly. Eric certainly knew how to say good morning. When we caught our breath he rolled on his side to face me and lightly touched my cheek.

"You snore," he said with a smile.

My jaw dropped and I smacked him on the arm, "I do not snore."

"Don't be embarrassed, it's quite adorable."

"Adorable? Since when is snoring adorable?"

"Well, it's a light snoring. I can't describe it, but it's cute. I like it."

"When did you hear me snoring?"

"I woke up before you today and used the bathroom." That would explain the minty breath. "You were still asleep when I came back so joined you. I can't blame you for sleeping in, though. I did wear you out." Bastard was smirking. Honestly I couldn't think of a clever enough response, so I squinted my eyes at him and got out of bed.

"Where are you going?" he asked, and I could practically hear him smiling.

I didn't answer. I left the room as naked as the day I was born, and walked down the hall to the bathroom. I felt so weird walking the short distance naked, but I knew he would appreciate the view and I wanted him to follow me. I didn't have the water on three seconds before I felt him behind me.

"Thinking of showering without me?"

I turned around and kissed him lightly, "Well, I wouldn't want you to wear me out and make me sleep through the day as well."

"No, I wouldn't want that. I guess I'll have to wait." My jaw dropped. That wasn't how that was supposed to go. He was supposed to say something witty, and we'd laugh and get in the shower together. Crap! "I guess I'd better wrap a towel around my waist before I take Ansel out," he said as he bent to retrieve one from under the sink, flexing his muscles in the process. That devious, butt clenching, heart palpitation inducing, enticing, hot piece of ass bastard.

I did the only thing I could think of while staring at his gorgeous ass. I reached out, grabbed it, and squeezed. He jumped slightly, probably because my hands were wet from checking the water temperature.

"Now, Sookie. Touching isn't fair." He said as he turned to face me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, and then stepped up to him to reach around to put my hands at the top of his sculpted butt and run them up his back. He shivered, and I smiled innocently as I pressed my body to his and shifted in just the right way. I placed one tiny wet kiss on his chest, and then released him quickly to jump in the shower. I was extremely satisfied when I heard the curtain pull back and saw Eric join me.

"You win," he said huskily, and then kissed me.

Eric washed my hair and his own, and then we washed each other. There was some minor teasing, but we were both quite relaxed and satisfied from our recent excursion so we didn't go any further. Once he was clean and rinsed I asked him to leave so that I could shave my legs. He protested for a few minutes, telling me that I should only be naked if he can be there too, and then his stomach growled loudly and I suggested he start breakfast. He reluctantly agreed and said that if I wasn't out in fifteen minutes he was coming after me. I laughed and smacked him on the ass as he stepped out.

Fifteen minutes later I walked into the kitchen, clean, smooth, and dressed. I smelled eggs and sure enough Eric was cooking a good old-fashioned breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast. He must really like bacon. He hadn't realized I was there yet, so I got behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I heard that rumbling coming from him and smiled to myself.

"I'm starving," I told him.

"For food, or for me?" he asked.

"Both, but food first. We need to refuel after all." I let go of him and he turned to kiss me on lips, and then went back to the bacon. I got a couple of plates out, and retrieved some silverware. Eric loaded the plates and I took them to the table. He poured us both a glass of orange juice, and then we dug in. I was relieved he made so much food, and I ate everything he put on my plate. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, he had helped me work up quite an appetite.

After we finished we went about cleaning up everything together. It felt so right. I couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy all over. I was thinking about what we should do today when I happened to look out the side window and saw Bill's truck. I might as well get that over with.

"Eric, do you have anything you have to get done today?" I was hoping he would have something to occupy his time with. I didn't want to leave him here with nothing to do while I went to talk to my ex-boyfriend.

He looked a little confused, "Not really. I was just planning on spending my day with you."

"Well, is there something you can do by yourself for a couple of hours?" Bill was stubborn enough; I figured it would take at least that long.

"Nothing I want to do. Did you have something you needed to do alone today?"

"I just really need to go clear the air with Bill and he's home right now. I just don't want to leave you here with nothing to do." I was surprised when I saw that he wasn't upset at all.

"It's fine, Sookie. Don't worry about me. I should probably try writing again anyway. You only aid my bad procrastination habits," he smiled and took me into his arms. I smiled back and stretched up to kiss him.

"Well get busy now mister, because when I get back I'll help you procrastinate more."

"Sounds like a plan," he said as he released me.

I went to dig out a different pair of shoes from my luggage because the others were still slightly damp. Eric picked them up and said he'd put them in the dryer. I thanked him by giving him a kiss, and told him I'd be back in a bit. When I walked out the door I suddenly became nervous. Without Eric's calming presence, I was worried and anxious, all the memories of my relationship with Bill flooding back to me. I realized that I was standing in the middle of the yard staring at Bill's house. I needed to find that resolve again to take a step, but I couldn't. I was the bad guy in this situation. It was me that left Bill. I stayed with him, even though I didn't love him. It was a cruel thing to do.

"You can do it Sookie." I jumped. I was so lost in my thoughts and nerves that I hadn't heard Eric come out of the house.

"Jesus, Eric you scared me." I laughed. He wasn't laughing though. He looked completely serious.

"I love you, Sookie. I know you can do this." He bent to kiss me and I felt all my fears melt away. I could do this. I could go over there and have this conversation. I would leave with a clear conscience and come back to Eric to continue to be happy. I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Thank you," I said. Eric stayed outside to watch me walk across the street and went back in when I was on Bill's porch, though I suspected he was watching from inside until I went in.

I knocked on the door, and about a minute later it opened. Bill looked surprised, then elated to see me and even leaned in like he was going to kiss me. I leaned back automatically and put my hand up.

"I'm just here to talk, Bill. May I come in?" Bill knew I meant what I said. He stared at me for a second, and then took a step back to let me in. His house looked exactly the same as it did when I left. The only difference was that the furniture was more worn, and that Bill was the only one living here now of course.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Wow. Bill was never good at playing host. He must have realized this was serious.

"Sure, some water would be great." He went to the kitchen to get it, and I sat down on the couch while I tried to figure out how to go about this whole thing. I decided apologizing would be the best place to start. Bill came back in and handed me a glass of ice water, then sat down in the recliner facing me.

"So what did you want to talk about?" He asked tentatively. He probably thought I was going to ream him for the other night.

"I want to apologize to you, Bill." He looked surprised. "I'm so sorry for how I ended our relationship, and I'm sorry for leading you on for so long."

"What are you talking about?"

"Bill, when we got together we were in sixth grade. I had all those idealistic fantasies of being with the boy next door forever. I dreamed of marrying you and having kids, growing old together, but as we grew up those dreams fell away. I realized that while I care very much about you, I'm not and never really have been in love with you. I stayed with you because I was afraid I would never get anywhere with my life. You were constant, and I knew you would always be there for me. It was cruel of me to stay in a relationship with you knowing that I didn't love you. I am very, very sorry for that."

"I knew that already." He said sadly.

"What?"

"I may be a simple guy, but I'm not dumb. I could tell you didn't love me. I told you all the time and you always brushed it off. I was very in love with you, and I always hoped you would come to love me too. I realize now that it was very unrealistic. A girl like you shouldn't be with a guy like me. You're too good for me, Sookie."

"Oh, Bill." I couldn't help it; I reached over to take his hand in mine. "I'm not too good for you. You just deserve someone that will love you. I want you to be happy, and I don't care who it's with."

"I'll always be here for you, Sookie. If you ever get tired of that guy, I'll be here." He smiled. "What is it with you two anyway?"

I smiled and released his hand. I couldn't tell Bill about the dreams. I didn't want to tell anyone about them. How the heck do I explain it? I realized that Eric and I would have to work on our story.

"It's hard to explain, Bill. He makes me very happy." I couldn't help but smile while thinking about Eric. I was surprised to see Bill smiling too.

"No matter how much I wish it was me that made you smile like that, I'm happy for you anyway. You deserve to be happy, too. Just remember that I'm here if you need me. I always will be."

"I appreciate that, Bill."

"So, you want to tell me why the bar was buzzing about an argument between you and Sam Merlotte last night?"

"We had a fight," I said, trying to put an end to the subject. I would talk to Sam later and we would be okay.

"Sam looked pretty upset last night."

"I'll talk to him in a couple days. He said something he shouldn't have and now he's kicking himself for it. I overreacted anyway."

"Sookie, you never overreact. If he said something that made you that upset, then he deserves to be in a funk for a few days." Since when did Bill think like this? It was quite refreshing and made me feel a little better about this whole conversation. We talked for a little while longer about old friends. We reminisced, and I began to remember why I liked Bill in the first place. He wasn't so bad. He certainly wasn't Eric, but I was sure he would make someone very happy someday.

"I better head back. I appreciate you talking to me about all this." I stood up and Bill did too.

"Anytime, Sookie." He gave me a quick hug, and I left feeling a hell of a lot better than I had when I went in.

Bill was a lot smarter than I gave him credit for. I felt a bit bad that he had known all these years that I hadn't loved him, and yet he stayed with me. I was walking away with a newfound appreciation of the man. There was also no doubt in my mind that he wouldn't be causing Eric and I any more problems. It was almost hard to believe that the Bill I just talked to is the same Bill that started a fight with Eric. Now that I think of it, he was probably a little drunk that night. He really only ever did rash things after he'd had a few. It's possible that seeing me back, and with Eric, caused him to drown his sorrows in a little beer, and then when he saw Eric outside he decided to confront him. I decided not to mention anything about him saying something bad about me to Eric, because I didn't want it to seem like I was searching for something to yell at him for when I was the one apologizing. Now I'm really glad I hadn't mentioned it. I was able to tell that night that he felt bad about it. No sense in dragging it back up.

I walked in the house and kicked off my shoes. I looked at the clock and realized that I had only been gone for an hour. I was expecting it to take much longer than that. I didn't see Eric or Ansel anywhere so I listened for noise. I stood at the end of the hall and heard the distinct sound of a keyboard clacking away. I immediately liked it. That was the sound of Eric doing what he loved. The door at the end of the hall was open slightly, so I made my way to it and peeked in. Eric had made the room into a study. There were bookshelves everywhere, and they were so full that books were stuffed in any open space. Eric was sitting in front of a large wooden desk, that had papers and even more books piled on it. Ansel was curled up on the floor next to him, sleeping. The floor creaked as I walked over to him, and he immediately stopped typing and turned around. He gestured for me to sit in his lap, so I did.

"How did it go?" He asked, as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Much better than expected. How is it coming over here?"

"I'm on a roll. I got two chapters done and I'm in the middle of a third. It's just pouring out of me." I noticed that his eyes got bright when he talked about writing.

"Oh, please don't stop then. You should write while you're feeling inspired." I moved to get up, but his grip around me tightened.

"No, I'll stop for now. I want to spend time with you."

"Eric, it's okay. I want to go take some pictures anyway. I've been neglecting my camera," I laughed. "I want you to write."

He stared into my eyes. I think he was trying to figure out if I was really okay with it. I was. He loved to write, so he should do it while he has his muse.

"Alright, how about we both work for an hour or so, and then you can watch me work out." He was smirking. Always thinking suggestively, this one.

"I don't know if I could handle that. What do you wear while you work out?"

"Usually just a pair of gym shorts. I get very hot and sweaty once I get going. With you in the room watching me, it may get crowded in my shorts so I might forego them." Now I had some wonderful visuals flashing in my brain.

"Now that's something I might want to see."

"Then you better get going." He looked at the clock. "I'll start my workout in an hour and a half."

"You mind if I take Ansel with me? Poor dog needs some exercise."

He laughed. "If you think you can get him to go, then by all means take him with you."

It took a little nudging, but I finally got Ansel to get up and follow me. I stopped at the door to put my shoes back on, and grab my camera that hadn't moved from its spot since I got here. Ansel followed me outside and immediately took the opportunity to relieve himself. I got him in a playful mood with a stick, and after fetching a couple of times he gladly followed me around. He just needed to get his blood up and he could be quite energetic.

I walked all around the field taking pictures. It wasn't all that muddy, so I figured it only rained for a few minutes last night. I had stopped paying attention once we were inside. I smiled at the memory and looked at my watch. I still had 45 minutes to go. I was near the pond so I walked up on the pond bank to take some pictures of our tree. I was very pleased when the images showed up on screen. I think a small part of me thought we might be imagining it. That reminded me of our need to come up with a good cover story for how we came to be together. I was thinking we could say that I came home on vacation and fell in love with the man renting our old house. That seemed to be lacking something though. I would have to ask Eric what he thought.

I took some more pictures on the walk back up to the house, and got a warm and tingly feeling when I thought about Eric's impending workout. I walked a little faster. When we got back to the house, I let Ansel in and set down my camera bag before getting him some water. I set his bowl down for him and when I turned around Eric was standing in the doorway, smiling at me.

"Get anything good?" he asked.

"Of course. I got some good shots of Ansel. I also took some of our tree." I told him.

He smiled broadly, "Did they show up?"

"Yes, they did. We're not crazy. Where are your workout clothes? I'm assuming you have equipment here." I don't really know why I assumed that; I just figured he's the type to have a home gym.

"Anxious to see me without a shirt?" He was looking smug again, and I was coming to terms with it. He had every right to look smug. The man looked good.

"Yes, I am." He laughed his loud, rumbling laugh, and then took my hand and led me downstairs.

**********

_Okay first things first. Today is VampAngel's B-Day! Happy Birthday! If you haven't read her fic, Dancing in the Dark, do it! _

_Zigster gets writing credit in this one. You know that funny ass line where Sookie calls Eric a "devious, butt clenching, heart palpitation inducing, enticing, hot piece of ass bastard"... Yeah, that was all Zigs. *pats Zigs on back*_

_Galla also gets credit for "Sleazy Hump-for-free" It was too good, I had to use it. Thank you, Galla! *smooches*_

_I would like to thank my amazing beta FDM. If you aren't reading her fic, Chasing The Light yet, then light a fire under your ass. That shit is amazing!_

_Bigs hugs and kisses to everyone who's reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it! _

_Ok, that's all from me. I'm not sure how long it will be until the next update. I'm gonna try to write my ass off tomorrow, so we'll se how that goes. _

_MWAH!_


	16. Chapter 16

_Here it is! Chapter 16! I am sooooo sorry about the wait. I've had a crappy week. I got called in at work a couple times on top of the days I was already scheduled. Anyone want my job? Another reason for the delay was that I wrote backwards on this one. I wrote 17 first, because it just came to me and then I wrote 16. That's good though! It means you'll have another update soon! Okay, enough chattering from me. I'll leave you alone now. _

_*********************_

Chapter 16

Eric flipped on the light and we walked downstairs. I hadn't been down here since my parents first had it finished, just before I left home. While I lived here it was a standard unfinished basement. It was all concrete and we used it for storage, but my parents wanted to finish it and eventually they were able to. It now had beige painted drywall, a ceiling, and a hardwood floor. It no longer had boxes and old mattresses piled up in corners. It had gym equipment, but not too much. There were one of those huge machines that worked every muscle group, a regular weight bench for bench-presses, a huge heavy-duty treadmill situated in front of a flat screen mounted on the wall, a tree for all his weights and one for his hand-weights, and a mat that had a bar across it which was probably where he did squats. There was a large stereo in a corner, which upon further inspection I discovered had a record player in the top. He had a few crates full of vinyl and I was excited to see it. Music always sounded best on vinyl. I couldn't wait to sort through them.

It finally hit me that there was a bedroom down here too. I had completely forgotten about it. I opened the door to find that it was exactly the same except for missing its old furniture. Eric obviously didn't use it for anything, but I noticed that the bathroom door was slightly open, so I went to peek at it too. One look at the new Jacuzzi tub and I flushed as naughty thoughts filled my mind. It was huge! The shower was much larger than the one upstairs as well. I hadn't realized that my parents had redone this bathroom. They talked about it at one time, but must have done it after I left. Would it be crazy to come downstairs in the morning just to shower? Maybe I could talk Eric into a Jacuzzi tub bath after his workout. I had a feeling it wouldn't take too much convincing. This bathroom ran the length of the house and the other end served as a laundry room. I noticed that he had baskets laid out and that he separated his colors, which tickled me pink.

Remembering that I had come down here with a person, I turned around to go back to him only to run right into his bare chest. He had taken off his shirt and was staring at me with an amused expression when I realized that my hands were still on his chest from steadying myself. I quickly removed them before we jumped each other again. I'm not saying I was against it, but I did want to be able to walk tomorrow. Not to mention that I was looking forward to getting to see his workout.

"Excuse me," he said and walked around me to the dryer. There was a pile of folded clothes on the top and I watched as he pulled a pair of drawstring gym shorts from it. He didn't hesitate in slipping off his jeans, revealing that he was going commando. I would have said something, but I was rendered speechless by that gorgeous ass once again. I really needed to get a grip when it came to that. It was just his butt. When he covered it with the shorts, I snapped out of it.

"So what do you think of the basement?" he asked.

"I'm mostly impressed with this Jacuzzi tub," I said while walking over to it and running my hand along the edge, "I've never been in one before."

"Well then, we'll just have to fix that after my workout." He promised with a sly smile. He took my hand and we walked back out to the gym area. He led me to a couch that I hadn't noticed was there. "Sit," he said, and I did. He sat next to me to put on his tennis shoes, and then pulled a rubber band off his wrist and tied his hair back before he started.

I sat there and watched Eric work out, and I swear I was in heaven the whole time. I should have felt lazy, but watching him work every single one of his muscles and get all sweaty was like foreplay. When he was facing me he would keep eye contact, and it was utterly erotic. When he lay back on the weight bench to do some bench presses it took everything in me not to go over there and straddle him. I decided to see if my vocal cords would work instead.

"Don't you know not to do that without a spotter?" I asked.

"I'm careful about that. I'm not trying to build muscle, so I don't lift enough to need one. If you would like to spot me though, you are _more_ than welcome to." He really was an opportunity seeker.

"I don't think that would be wise, Eric. I do want you to finish your workout, after all."

"Are you implying that I wouldn't if you spotted me?"

"Yes, I am." There was no point in denying it anymore. I knew damn well that if I went over there to spot him, I would end up having sex with him on that bench, and it didn't look like it would be too comfortable.

"Alright then," He said with a smirk, and began lifting the weights. A small, but noticeable grunt would issue from him with every extension, and I almost gave up my resolve and jumped him, but I didn't.

He was finishing up his workout with a run on the treadmill, and I figured now would be as good a time as any to have the conversation about our cover story.

"So, I've been thinking that we need to come up with a cover story." I told him.

"Cover story? For what?" he asked.

"For when people ask how we met. Bill asked me, and I realized that we can't really tell people about out dreams without them thinking we're nuts. To be honest, I don't really want to tell anyone about our dreams. It's not that I'm worried about what they would think; it's more that they're special to us. I'm not sure I want to share them with anyone."

"Why don't we tell them the most basic form of the truth?" he suggested.

"And what would that be?" I asked.

"That you came home for a vacation, and you went to your old house to introduce yourself to the new tenant, me, and when you saw my extraordinary physique and devilish smile you fainted. I, being the quick-on-my-feet type, caught you, swept you off your feet, and you couldn't resist me, so we fell madly in love."

"Funny." I said sarcastically.

"I thought so too."

"How about this? I came home for a vacation and went to my old house to introduce myself to the new tenant, you, and we hit it off instantly. We talked all night, took walks in the moonlight, told each other stories, watched chick flicks that made us both cry, had romantic meals, and fell deeply in love. How's that?" I tried to sound completely serious when I said it, and apparently I succeeded, because when I looked at Eric after I finished I burst into laughter. I doubled over and laughed until tears rolled down my cheeks.

"What is so funny?" he asked.

"You should have seen the look on your face!" I began to laugh more at the memory. "It was like a cross between bewilderment and disgust, and the end result was hilarious."

Eric didn't seem to find it very funny. He stopped the treadmill, and came over to me so fast that I sucked in a breath. He was on his knees, breathing heavily from the run, with his hands on the tops of my thighs. He was covered with sheen of sweat, and it made me want to lick him.

"You came home for a vacation. When you came here to visit and introduce yourself to the new tenant, me, we hit it off. You can get mushy by saying it was love at first sight if you want, but by no means are you going to say that I cried during a chick flick." His expression was completely serious and I tried to hold it in, I swear I did, but I couldn't. I burst out laughing in his face. I felt bad, I did, but it was too funny. My eyes closed from laughing so hard and when I opened them I realized that he wasn't in front of me anymore.

My laughter immediately died down, and I hoped that I hadn't made him angry. The sound of running water filled my ears and I immediately jumped up and made for the bathroom to find that Eric was standing in front of the tub naked.

"You weren't thinking about getting in there without me were you?" I asked, feigning offence.

"I assumed you would join me when your fit of laughter ended," he said as he climbed in. "Are you done?"

"Eric, I'm sorry I laughed, but you couldn't have honestly believed I was being serious, could you?" What I couldn't believe was that I was having a conversation while Eric was sitting in a tub, naked and alone.

"I figured that out when you couldn't stop laughing. You know, if the whole photographer thing doesn't work out you could consider acting." He actually believed me? Damn, I'm better than I thought.

"Don't worry, Eric. I won't tell anyone that you cried during a chick flick."

"Exactly, because I didn't." He was sitting at one end of the tub, both arms on the edges, and legs extended. He was mouth-watering.

"Is your macho ego that fragile? You are a tall, lean, toned, and devilishly handsome man who exudes sex, and you're worried someone might think you cried during a movie?" His smirk had returned and it was exactly what I was going for.

"So I'm devilishly handsome and I exude sex, do I?"

"Yes, and I think you know it."

"I think you should get in this tub with me," He said as he raised his eyebrows suggestively. That's really all he had to do. I stripped my clothes off slowly, enjoying the lustful look on his face, and joined him in the tub. I sighed and sank into the water. The jets felt amazing. He smiled and pulled me against him so that my back was to his chest, and I could feel just how much he was enjoying my presence.

He washed my hair for me, and because we were sitting I was actually able to wash his. He made that rumbling noise while I did it, and I giggled.

"What's funny now?" He asked, "You're behind me so it can't possibly be my face."

"It's just that when you are enjoying something, usually some form of touching, you make this rumbling noise."

"I rumble?"

"Yes, and I love it. It lets me know that you are content and happy. Now rinse." He dunked under the water and rinsed his hair. When he came back up we switched positions again. I was about to put by back to his chest again when he stopped me, and helped me onto his lap facing him with my legs wrapped around his waist.

"I am happy and content with you all the time, you know that right?" He was being completely serious, and I found that I was glad I could tell the difference. I smiled.

"Of course I know that. I hope you know that I feel the same," I said as I ran my fingers through his wet hair. I felt a surge of emotion and before I could stop myself I said, "I could stay with you forever, Eric Northman."

As soon as it came out I wished it hadn't. It's not that I didn't mean it; I just didn't want to scare him away. While I knew that he loved me, I also knew that I sounded like I was prompting a marriage proposal and that made me pause. I had only met Eric a few days ago, and I was stunned that I already seemed to be entertaining the idea of marriage. I hadn't seen myself settling down for quite a while, but somehow, with Eric it seemed like I couldn't wait to settle down. We weren't ready for marriage, and I knew that. We still had a lot to learn about each other before marriage could come into the picture, but I really could see myself with him forever. I saw us simply being together, having fun, making love, cooking, eventually getting married, having children, growing old.

I looked into his eyes warily, scared that I might see him close off. What I found was a very satisfied smile, and eyes that were showing nothing but love. He pulled me even closer to him and kissed me passionately. It was the exact opposite of what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it anyway. I responded enthusiastically and began to feel his want pressed up against me. I reached into the water and began to stroke him slowly. He groaned in response as his hand found my center. We kept kissing, until he slid two fingers into me and my head flew back. I knew he liked for me to look him in the eyes so I did and was rewarded with a skillful series of curl-uncurls. I was getting very close, so I tightened my grip on him and increased my pace causing him to throw his head back and close his eyes. I gripped the back of his head with my free hand to pull his head back up and kissed him hard.

"I'm so close, Eric." I said breathlessly. He groaned, and began to rub my swollen clit with his thumb sending me tumbling over the edge. He followed right after with a loud growl as his body jerked. We clung to each other as we caught our breath. Eric placed sweet kisses along my collarbone and neck and the sensation made me shiver, which somehow made me realize how hungry I was.

"I'm starving," I told him.

"I can only assume you mean food, because if you mean me, then I'm not doing a very good job."

"I do mean food. You are doing a fantastic job, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep up with you if you're like this all the time."

"I have no idea what you mean. I'm only like this because of you. You are insatiable. You're a minx."

"Minx? Seriously, Eric? If I'm a minx then you're…well…you're something worse." Apparently I couldn't think after a good orgasm. He laughed and helped me stand up. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my shoulders before helping me step out of the tub. He stepped out after me, and wrapped another towel around his waist while I secured mine around my body. He took my hand and we walked upstairs together to get dressed. It was early evening by that point and we didn't plan on going anywhere, so he just put on his flannel pajama bottoms and I put on one of his shirts. I didn't put on underwear because I wasn't kidding anyone. We were more than likely going to have sex again tonight, and I didn't want my underwear slowing down the process any. Besides that, his shirt almost came to my knees, which was more modest than what most girls wore these days.

We went to the kitchen and Eric began rummaging through the fridge trying to figure out what to make.

"I have good news and bad news," he said while standing in front of the open refrigerator.

"Bad news first. Wait, no, good news first. I want to enjoy the good news, and if you tell me the bad news first then that's all I will be able to think about, and then I won't be able to enjoy the good news." I looked up at him and he was staring at me, amused. "Sorry. Continue." I was babbling. I hadn't done that in a long, long time.

"The good news is that I have all the ingredients to make us a delicious homemade pepperoni pizza."

"Yum! That sounds like it will hit the spot. Wait, what's the bad news? Do you not have cheese? We can't make a pizza without a lot of cheese. Great, now I'm not enjoying the good news because I'm worried about what the bad news might be. I should have asked for the bad news first."

He was amused again. "Do you ramble on like this all the time?"

"No, just when I'm exceptionally happy."

"So I should expect this all the time?" He was smirking. Surprise, surprise.

"Ass."

"Yes, I know it makes you happy."

"Funny, now what was the bad news? I'm hungry."

"The bad news is that we are out of almost everything. I used the last of the bacon this morning and there are only a few eggs left, so it's cold cereal for breakfast. We'll have to go grocery shopping tomorrow."

"Why is that bad?" That didn't sound bad at all. I didn't mind grocery shopping.

"Sookie, I'm hurt," he said putting his hand over his heart dramatically, "you would rather go to a grocery store, and deal with screaming kids and impatient moms, than stay here all day and have sex? That hurts, Sookie, it does."

"Very funny. We'll just have to make it a quick…wow. I just got the funniest visual of you pushing a cart through Wal-Mart, trying to avoid pushy moms and screaming kids," I laughed, because it really was a funny visual.

He furrowed his brow, "Why is that funny? I have to do that. They seem to follow me everywhere. I smiled at one once, and she kept popping up in every aisle I went to. Why are you laughing harder?"

"Of course they're following you! You look like a Greek God compared to what they're used to. Then you smile at them? It's like a fantasy come true." I could really see these women following Eric around in Wal-Mart in a daze, mesmerized by his smile. It would be like living in a romance novel for them.

"Are you telling me that pushy mothers with screaming, fit-throwing children follow me around the grocery store because I smile politely at them?"

"Yes, I am. It's a bored housewife thing. I've seen it happen." He was staring at me like he was trying to figure out the mystery of women. "So! Pizza. I'm starving."

He seemed to snap out of it, "Yeah, pizza. Would you like to help me?"

"Of course. Just tell me what to do." That was that. He pulled out all the ingredients, and we set about putting it together. He had actual homemade dough, which he explained was the only way to go. He worked on rolling that out while I shredded fresh mozzarella cheese, and I'll admit that I had fun feeding him the ends. He actually tossed the dough in the air, which impressed the hell out of me, and gave me a nice show. He wasn't wearing a shirt remember? I made sure to get some sauce on my finger so that he could lick it off, which was sexy as hell. Once we had it all put together, Eric stuck it in the oven and we cleaned up what mess we had made. He told me it would still be about ten minutes until the pizza was done, so we went to the living room to pick out a movie to watch while we ate.

"What would you like to watch?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know. How about a chick flick?" I smiled.

"Ha. Ha. I don't own any chick flicks."

"Well then what do you suggest?"

"I think we should go second shelf."

"Movies to watch when we don't want to think?" I had remembered that from when he explained how he organized his movies. He seemed pleased that I had. "Why would we want one of those?"

"Because, my dear, we don't want to feel bad when we stop watching it after we finish our food."

"Why would we stop watching it?" I loved playing along with him.

"We will have moved on to other activities, of course."

"Hmm, I really like to preview activities before I dive into them. Could you show me exactly what these activities will entail?"

"I would love to." He led me to the couch, sat down, and then pulled me down to straddle him. We kissed for a few minutes, and I felt his hands go up under the bottom of his shirt to grab my butt. As soon as his hands found their destination, he pulled away and looked at me.

"You're not wearing underwear and you wonder why I call you a minx?" he smirked.

"Well, then you're the male version because you were going commando earlier."

We laughed together and I pulled him into another kiss. The timer for the pizza went off a couple minutes later, and we reluctantly pulled apart. I was practically drooling as he pulled the pizza out of the oven. It looked delicious and smelled even better. I got us each a plate as Eric cut it. He put two huge slices on each plate, and we went back to the living room. Ansel was standing at the door, so Eric took him out while I got the movie ready. I grabbed one off the second shelf and put it in. I got situated on the couch with a blanket because I was a little chilly, and waited for Eric. He walked back in a couple minutes later with a satisfied looking Ansel, who trotted off down the hall and into the study.

"How did you go out there without a shirt?" I asked.

"I'm a man, Sookie. We do stupid things all the time," he said as he came to sit by me, "Now share the blanket, I'm cold."

"It's nice to hear one admit it," I laughed while taking the blanket off my legs and wrapping it around his bare shoulders.

I handed him his plate, and pressed play on the mindless comedy I put in. I grabbed a piece of pizza off my plate and took a big bite. I moaned at how good it was.

"Eric, I don't think I've ever had pizza this good." I said before taking another huge bite. I knew that I probably looked like a cow, but hot sex really burns calories and I was starving.

"I told you, it's all about the dough. I'll teach you how to make it." I nodded vigorously at him, and continued to devour my slice. About fifteen minutes later we were both full, and I was ready to start our next activity. Eric must have been thinking the same thing, because as soon as I had wiped my mouth with my napkin he took it and my plate from me, and then he was kissing me. We kissed lazily for a while; just enjoying the feel of each other, when somewhere along the way it was as if a switch flipped on and our kissing grew more urgent. I was more than ready for him again and quite pleased when he extracted a condom from his pajama pants, which had thankfully come with pockets.

About twenty minutes later I was lying on top, of him catching my breath for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

"If we keep this up I won't be able to walk tomorrow." I told him. He chuckled as he stroked my hair, and I began to feel sleepy. Eric's breathing was evening out so I moved to lie next to him and he pulled the blanket up around us and held me close as we fell asleep.

When I woke up I was still in Eric's embrace and it was fully dark outside. Eric looked so peaceful that I didn't want to wake him, so I carefully pulled away and looked for my shirt. I found it in the middle of the floor and quickly pulled it on. I used the bathroom, and when I came out Ansel was at the door again so I went back to the bedroom to grab Eric's robe, and then took him out. When we went back in Eric wasn't on the couch anymore. I found him in the kitchen eating a leftover slice of pizza.

"You look really good in my robe," he told me.

"And I'll bet I look even better out of it," I said, and then gave him a kiss.

"It seems I'm rubbing off on you at last."

I gave him a smirk of my own, grabbed a slice of pizza, and leaned up against the counter next to him. It was still the best pizza I'd ever had, even when it was cold. When we finished our snack Eric put the leftovers in the fridge as I refilled Ansel's water bowl. Then we turned off the lights and went back to our bedroom.

We got in bed, and I curled into Eric. I told him that I wanted to see Sam tomorrow, and he was okay with that. I asked him what had happened between him and Sam in the bar after I walked out, and he told me what Sam told him. It only fueled my resolve to clear the air with him. We decided to go to the grocery store in the morning, and then I'd call Sam. I couldn't help but think that after my talk with Sam, there really wasn't anything keeping me from spending all my time with Eric, and I was looking forward to it.

*******************

_Big thanks to FDM, my stupendous beta! Any mistakes that remain are purely mine! If you aren't reading Chasing The Light and House of Flesh on Fire(the hottest fic ever)....well what are you doing here? Seriously..._

_I updated my profile to include a picture of Eric's car, so go check that out._

_I want to thank all of you that are reading and reviewing! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. _

_Okay, I'm off to work on 17! Yay!_


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello my lovely readers! I know, I know...I said this would be out a couple days after the last one, but halfway through it I was struck with a drive-by case of writer's block. I actually had to force myself to stop trying and banged my head on my desk a few times trying to get something out, but alas.... I distracted myself by working on the new collaboration story I'm doing with the one and only Zigster. It's called Preludes and Presumptions and it's sure to be a fun ride. We published the first chapter last night and you can find it under both hers and my names. We'll also have DCWriter16 and Yogagal doing some guest chapters for us from other characters POV's. All the pertinent info is in the author's note so go check it out!**

**Without further ado, here is your EPOV...**

* * *

Chapter 17

I actually woke up before Sookie for once. I took in her sleeping form, and thought she couldn't have been more beautiful. The covers just came up to her waist, so her beautiful breasts were on full display. I wanted to reach out and touch them, but I knew that would wake her up and she looked so peaceful sleeping. I figured she would be up soon anyway, so I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I threw on my robe and took Ansel out too. If Sookie woke up frisky, I didn't want there to be any interruptions.

She was still asleep when I walked back in the room, and I noticed that she snored. It was an adorable little noise, and I instantly fell in love with it. I took the robe off and crawled back in bed with her. I tucked her into my body and she let out a contented sigh in her sleep. I lay there for a while, just thinking, letting my mind wander. I thought about all the mornings that could be just like this. I wanted to wake up every morning for the rest of my life with a beautiful, naked Sookie by my side. I saw visions of she and I making love every night, cooking together, getting married, having children. I was a little surprised that I saw us getting married. I had never been one to believe in marriage. My parent's marriage was so fucked up, that I never understood why people got married in the first place. Being with Sookie made me see why people might want to. I knew that marriage wouldn't change anything between us, and I would be happy just being her boyfriend for the rest of our lives, if that was what she wanted. There was definitely some allure in being able to call her my wife. Maybe that was just the possessive side in me. Sort of like how I didn't want anyone else to see her breasts. They were for my eyes only. I smiled at the thought and peeked at them again. I was the luckiest man alive. I felt myself getting sleepy, so I cleared my head and closed my eyes.

The next thing I knew I was being kissed. I came out of my slumber quickly and realized that Sookie was straddling my waist, kissing me. I brought my hands up to her hips, and realized that I was sporting wood and my nipples were hard. This woman was a goddess. She certainly knew how to wake a man up. All of a sudden she pulled away with a confused look.

"Your breath is minty." She thought she had woken up before me. I decided to have a little fun with her.

"Thank you." Her confused expression deepened.

"But you just woke up." I laughed. She looked so cute with that look on her face. I rolled her under me quickly, enjoying the squeal that came from her mouth. I kissed her neck, right on her sweet spot and then we proceeded to have the best morning sex I had ever had. Well, I'm sure we'd have great morning sex in the future, but something told me all sex with Sookie would be the best ever.

After we'd both had a couple of magnificent releases, and our breathing returned to normal, I decided to have more fun. I told her she snored. I will never, ever forget the look on her face. She was probably expecting me to say something like, "I love you" or "you were amazing", but she was definitely not expecting to be told that she snores. Judging by the look on her face she didn't know. I got a smack on the arm for my little statement, and a declaration that she did no such thing.

"Don't be embarrassed, it's quite adorable."

"Adorable? Since when is snoring adorable?"

"Well, it's a light snoring. I can't describe it, but it's cute. I like it."

"When did you hear me snoring?"

I told her about waking up before her today, and then saw another opportunity to tease her. "I can't blame you for sleeping in, though. I did wear you out." I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting, but I didn't expect her to get out of bed and walk out of the room naked. It was so sexy seeing her walk out that way.

"Where are you going?" I called after her, smiling. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to convince her to stay naked in the house for me. We could keep the blinds closed and it would be quite convenient. I'd be happy if she just walked around in one of my shirts, sans underwear.

I took off after her and saw her turning on the water in the bathroom. "Thinking of showering without me?"

She turned around and kissed me, "Well, I wouldn't want you to wear me out and make me sleep through the day as well." Ah, so she was playing that game. I knew exactly how to deflect that. I agreed with her.

"No, I wouldn't want that. I guess I'll have to wait." Her jaw dropped. I found that it always surprised women when you agreed with them. I got an even better idea. "I guess I'd better wrap a towel around my waist before I take Ansel out," I said as I bent to retrieve a one, showing off my ass in the process. I was expecting her to be mesmerized by the sight, like she had before. Instead I felt her cold, slightly wet hands grab my butt and squeeze. I couldn't believe she actually did that.

"Now, Sookie, touching isn't fair." I told her.

"What do you mean?" She asked. She stepped close to me and ran her fingertips up the length of my back, causing me to shiver. Then she pressed her body to mine and shifted slightly, causing just the right amount of friction to achieve what she was going for. She licked her lips and kissed my chest, and then she turned around and got in the shower. I wasn't planning on letting her shower alone anyway, I reasoned, and joined her. Then I saw her delicious body under the spray and knew she had won. I told her so and kissed her, and then we just washed each other. I washed her hair and mine, she lathered me up and I did her, we kissed and teased each other, but that was all. Sookie surprised me by telling me to get out of the shower so that she could shave her legs. I didn't want to leave her in here alone. She would be wet, and naked, and alone. What if she got hot and bothered thinking about me and I wasn't there to relieve her tension? Besides she should only be naked if I could be there too. I wouldn't mind watching her shave her legs. Hell, I'd do it for her. I was trying to get my point across when my stomach betrayed me by growling loudly. She suggested that I go make us some breakfast, and I couldn't argue with that. I was starving. I told her if she wasn't out in fifteen minutes, that I was coming after her, and I received a smack on the ass as I stepped out.

I dried off, and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. I didn't think Sookie had any plans today, so I figured we could lounge around and do whatever we felt like doing. I didn't really care if we slept all day, as long as we were together. I got Ansel some food and he ate, while I got out eggs and bacon. I kept looking at the clock. I was going to keep my promise to Sookie and go after her if she wasn't back in the allotted time. I got a bit distracted with the bacon, and was trying not to burn it when I felt her arms wrap around my waist. God, I loved that feeling.

"I'm starving," she told me.

"For food, or for me?"

"Both, but food first. We need to refuel after all." She released me, and I turned to kiss her before going back to the bacon. She set about getting us plates and silverware, and then I piled the plates with food. We had worked up quite an appetite and we definitely needed nourishment. She took the plates to the table and I got us both a glass of OJ. I'd never been much of a coffee drinker and she hadn't asked for it yet, so I hoped she was the same way. I sat down and we dug in. I was pleased to see her eat it all. Women who could eat were such a turn-on, especially when you knew why she was so hungry.

We finished eating and went about cleaning up everything together. I was starting to get those visions in my head again of us doing this for the rest of our lives. I really needed to find out her stance on marriage. As soon as I thought it, I realized how crazy it sounded. I knew we were perfect for each other and that we loved each other, but was I really ready to propose marriage to her? I was surprised to find that I was, but I knew that I would definitely wait a while. We had a long way to go before we were actually ready for marriage. Sookie spoke then, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Eric, do you have anything you have to get done today?"

"Not really. I was just planning on spending my day with you," I told her.

"Well, is there something you can do by yourself for a couple of hours?" Did she have something to do without me?

"Nothing I want to do. Did you have something you needed to do alone today?"

"I just really need to go clear the air with Bill, and he's home right now. I just don't want to leave you here with nothing to do."

That made sense. I understood. She needed to clear her conscience when it came to Bill. She truly was a good person. She was an even better person for worrying about what I was going to do while she was gone. She probably thought I'd be upset that she wanted to be alone with Bill. I trusted Sookie. I knew she didn't want him, and for all of Bill's shortcomings I knew he respected her enough to not try anything. I had seen how he listened to her the night of the fight. He didn't want to hurt her anymore than I did. Besides which, I really needed to see if I could write something anyway.

"It's fine, Sookie. Don't worry about me. I should probably try writing again anyway. You only aid my bad procrastination habits," I took her into my arms and she kissed me.

"Well get busy now mister, because when I get back I'll help you procrastinate more."

"Sounds like a plan."

Sookie got a different pair of shoes because ours from last night were still damp. I grabbed them and told her I'd put them in the dryer. She kissed me, said she'd be back in a bit, and walked out the door. I watched through the window as she made it halfway across the lawn and stopped. I could tell by the way she was standing that she was a nervous wreck. She wasn't like that when she left, not a minute ago. It dawned on me that she needed me. I set our damp shoes down and walked outside.

"You can do it Sookie." I told her. She jumped. I hadn't meant to scare her. She must have been really deep in her thoughts.

"Jesus, Eric you scared me," she laughed. I could tell she was about to give up and go back in. I couldn't have that. She needed to do this for herself.

"I love you, Sookie. I know you can do this." I gave her a short, chaste kiss on the lips and felt her relax. She wrapped her arms around my waist and thanked me, and then she walked across the street to Bill's house. I stayed outside until she was on his porch, and then went back in to watch until she got in the house. I saw Bill open the door and lean in like he was going to kiss her. That pissed me off, but Sookie leaned away from him and said something. He nodded slightly, and then stepped back to let her in. Once the door was closed I silently wished her luck, and then took our shoes to the dryer.

I went back to my little study and opened my laptop. Ansel followed me, and promptly fell asleep on the floor. He liked it back there for some reason. I checked my e-mail and found one from my editor, Mr. White. I was contracted with Random House in New York, and Mr. White was one of the top editors. He had a black ink stain on his finger and I always found that funny black on white; like a printed page. He had e-mailed to tell me that he loved what I had sent him so far of the novel I was working on. He wanted to know if I was interested in drawing up a contract for it yet. I had to write at least one novel a year for Random House, but I was hesitant about contracting for a specific novel, until I got far enough into it. I would start a few different stories a year and once I got really into one, and I knew that I wanted to finish it, that's when I'd get a contract for it. I e-mailed him back that I was close with this one and that I'd let him know.

I opened up the file with the story I had been working on since having our dreams. I was immediately able to pick up where I left off, and in no time I had two chapters done. I was so immersed in it that I didn't even hear Sookie come back in. I was alerted to her presence when the floor creaked behind me. I stopped typing and turned around in my chair to see how she was. I could tell she hadn't been crying. I gestured for her to sit in my lap and she did.

"How did it go?" I wrapped my arms around her waist, enjoying the feel of her.

"Much better than expected. How is it coming over here?" I was relieved. I could tell that she wasn't upset about anything.

"I'm on a roll. I got two chapters done, and I'm in the middle of a third. It's just pouring out of me." She smiled warmly at me.

"Oh, please don't stop then. You should write while you're feeling inspired." She tried to get up, but I held her to me.

"No, I'll stop for now. I want to spend time with you."

"Eric, it's okay. I want to go take some pictures anyway. I've been neglecting my camera," she laughed. "I want you to write."

I looked her in the eyes. She was telling the truth. She wanted me to write. I was planning on stopping soon anyway because I needed to work out, and I saw the potential that had.

"Alright, how about we both work for an hour or so, and then you can watch me work out." She caught on right away.

"I don't know if I could handle that. What do you wear while you work out?"

"Usually just a pair of gym shorts. I get very hot and sweaty once I get going. With you in the room watching me, it may get crowded in my shorts so I might forego them." I was smirking at the thought.

"Now that's something I might want to see," she said while absently rubbing my chest.

"Then you better get going. I'll start my workout in an hour and a half."

She asked if she could take Ansel with her, and I was glad to see that she cared about him enough to try to get him outside. I usually took him out for a couple hours everyday, but I hadn't done it since Sookie got here. It took a minute, but she got him to get up and follow her.

I heard them go outside, and turned back to my computer and started typing. I managed to get two more chapters done before I heard Sookie and Ansel come back in. She was a little early, but that boded well for me. She was anticipating it. I saved my work and shut down my computer. I found Sookie in the kitchen getting Ansel some water. Her cheeks were flushed from the walk and she was smiling. She saw me staring at her and her smile grew. I asked her if she got anything good, and she told me that she took some pictures of Ansel and even got some of our tree. I was happy about that and even asked her if they showed up. With all the crazy shit that's happened to the two of us, I wouldn't have been surprised if they had disappeared after we admitted our love for each other or some cheesy shit like that. She asked where my workout clothes were, which made me happy. She was anticipating it.

"Anxious to see me without a shirt?" I asked smugly.

"Yes, I am." She said. That pleased me. She was finally admitting it. I laughed and took her hand to lead her downstairs. I flipped the lights on at the top of the stairs and we walked down them. When we got to the bottom she took in the room with wide eyes. I assumed it had changed since she had seen it last. I could tell that it was fairly new. She looked around the gym area for a while, and then went into the bedroom. While she looked around in there I pulled off my shirt, she did say she was anxious to see me without it. She was taking a while to come back out, and I hoped she was just daydreaming about all the fun to be had in that bathroom. I had to get my shorts out of there anyway, so I went in. She was standing in the bathroom with her back turned to me, and almost as soon as I stopped behind her, she turned around and ran right into me. Her hands were on my chest to steady herself and she didn't remove them, which amused me. When she realized it she quickly removed them and blushed. I made my way around her and to the dryer to retrieve my shorts and, knowing she was watching, pulled off my pants revealing that I was going commando. I figured it was one less thing in the way if we decided to get frisky while still dressed.

I got the shorts on, and turned around to find a still blushing Sookie staring at me. I asked her what she thought of the basement, and she replied by being a bit suggestive about the tub. I was suggestive right back, of course. We went back out to the gym and I told her to sit on the couch. It was the perfect spot for her to watch me. I sat next to her for a minute to put on the pair of tennis shoes that I kept down there for workouts, and then I tied my hair back with a rubber band.

I started my workout and made sure to look Sookie in the eyes every chance I got. She was fidgeting on the couch a little, like she was resisting the urge to get up and jump me. I would have welcomed it. I enjoyed watching her eyes rake over every inch of my body. It was so hot, and I was definitely sporting wood. When I laid back on the weight bench to lift, she spoke for the first time. It was a good opportunity to be suggestive again, so I took it. It baffled me that she could be such a minx at times like this; yet blush at some of the tamest things. It was just one of the things I loved about her.

After I finished lifting I began my jog on the treadmill. Sookie brought up making up a cover story for how we met. I was being serious when I told her we should just tell them the most basic form of the truth. That way we wouldn't be lying, and we could just gloss over the dream stuff. I agreed with Sookie on that. I wanted to keep our dreams between us. When she asked me to elaborate, however, I had some fun. It was sort of true, I mean, she did faint at the sight of me. I thought Sookie was having some fun when she started her explanation, but she sounded so serious. What she said was so cheesy and completely unlike me, but the look on her face told me that she either wanted those things, or thought me capable of them, and that made me feel a bit weird. Me cry during a chick flick? Not ever going to happen. She wouldn't actually tell people that would she? I thought she was kidding, but she looked and sounded completely serious. When she finished she looked at me and began laughing. She laughed so hard she was crying. For some reason, it wasn't contagious this time. I felt like I wanted to laugh with her, but there was some infinitely male part of me that had to know she wasn't being serious. Men can't be sure of anything unless they're told apparently. I asked her what was so funny, and she replied that the look on my face was the reason she was in stitches.

I stopped the treadmill and got on my knees in front of her, resting my hands on the tops of her thighs. She was looking at me with pure lust radiating from her and I got the urge to just take her right then and there, but I had to get this out for some reason.

"You came home for a vacation. When you came here to visit and introduce yourself to the new tenant, me, we hit it off. You can get mushy by saying it was love at first sight if you want, but by no means are you going to say that I cried during a chick flick."

I was actually being serious, but she still laughed. This time it got me. I wanted to laugh with her. I realized how ridiculous I was being, but I wasn't ready to admit it. While her eyes were closed I got up and went to the bathroom, the sound of her contagious laughter floated in after me and I smiled. It was a great sound. I heard her laughter die down, and knew she must have realized I wasn't there anymore. I quickly kicked off my shoes and pulled my shorts off, and then I started to fill up the tub.

"You weren't thinking about getting in there without me were you?" Her sweet voice asked from behind me, surely admiring the view.

"I assumed you would join me when your fit of laughter ended," I told her as I climbed into the tub. "Are you done?"

"Eric, I'm sorry I laughed, but you couldn't have honestly believed I was being serious, could you?" She seemed as though she was afraid she had upset me, and I didn't want her to think that.

"I figured that out when you couldn't stop laughing. You know, if the whole photographer thing doesn't work out you could consider acting."

"Don't worry, Eric. I won't tell anyone that you cried during a chick flick," she teased.

"Exactly, because I didn't."

"Is your macho ego that fragile? You are a tall, lean, toned, and devilishly handsome man who exudes sex, and you're worried someone might think you cried during a movie?" I smirked at that. It was nice knowing she thought me all those things, even though I knew she was humoring me, I could still tell she meant them.

"So I'm devilishly handsome and I exude sex, do I?"

"Yes, and I think you know it." She was right. I do know it. I was glad she was aware that I knew it. I was starting to wonder if she really knew how sexy she was.

"I think you should get in this tub with me." Apparently I said the right thing, because Sookie slowly took her clothes off for me. Maybe she really did know how sexy she was, or at least how sexy she was to me. When she had stripped off all her clothes she stood before me looking like pure sex, so when she sank into the water I couldn't help but pull her against me to let her feel what she did to me.

I washed her hair, and then she washed mine. I thoroughly enjoyed the feel of her breasts against my back as her hands massaged my scalp. It felt like we were taking care of each other, and I may be a man, but it gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling that I enjoyed. I was met with those visions again; visions of us doing this for each other for the rest of our lives. I really had to find out her stance on marriage. Sookie giggled then, breaking me out of my thoughts. She couldn't see my face this time, so I had no idea what was cracking her up. She told me that I make a rumbling noise when I'm enjoying something and that it lets her know that I am content and happy, so she loves it. I must do this a lot if she was already associating it with emotions. She told me to rinse my hair, so I dunked under the water and got all the suds out of my hair. When I came back up she moved to get in front of me again, but I stopped her and situated her on my lap facing me, with her legs wrapped around my waist.

"I am happy and content with you all the time, you know that right?" There was no form of teasing in my voice. I wanted her to know how much I loved her. I wanted her with me always.

"Of course I know that. I hope you know that I feel the same," she ran her fingers through my wet hair, "I could stay with you forever, Eric Northman."

I supposed I had my answer. She couldn't have said anything more perfect at that moment. I knew it was the truth because she looked stunned that she had said it. She refused to meet my eye-line for a minute, but I could tell she was just thinking it through, and when she finally looked into my eyes I pulled her as close as she could get, and kissed her passionately. She responded in earnest, and I felt her hand wrap around me and begin to stroke slowly. I felt like the luckiest guy on earth. My own hand made its way between her thighs, and I deftly slid two fingers into her causing her head to fly back. My girl knows what I like though, and she quickly recovered and looked me in the eyes. I curled my fingers inside her, hitting just the right spot. She tightened her grip on me, which made me throw my own head back in ecstasy. Sookie gripped the back of my head and brought it back up to kiss me.

"I'm so close, Eric," she said in breathless anticipation as she sped up her strokes. I groaned and began to rub her swollen clit with my thumb, which finished her quickly. The feel of her contracting around my fingers coupled with her grip on me did me in, and I followed with a growl. I wrapped my arms around her waist to hold her close to me as she laid her head on my shoulder. We were both trying to catch our breath, and I placed a series of kisses along Sookie's collarbone. I felt her shiver, and then she told me she was starving. Unfortunately she was starving for food, but she did let it slip that I was doing a stupendous job and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep up with me. I thought I was the only one. At least we were on the same track.

"I have no idea what you mean. I'm only like this because of you. You are insatiable. You're a minx." It was actually true. I'd never reacted this way to a woman before, and she always did something that made me want her more without even realizing it.

"Minx? Seriously, Eric? If I'm a minx then you're…well…you're something worse." I had done my job well. She couldn't bring herself to think of a good name to call me. We got out of the tub and, with towels wrapped around the good parts, walked upstairs to get dressed. I put on my flannel pants and when I turned to see what Sookie had on I found her in one of my shirts again. I didn't think I would ever tire of the look of her in one of them.

When I rummaged through the refrigerator, I found that we were almost out of everything. I caught myself thinking "we" and smiled to myself. I had been doing that a lot lately. _We_ were running out…_our_ bedroom. It was nice. I told Sookie that I had good news and bad news, and she went off on this big ramble about which she wanted first. It was actually kind of cute.

I told her the good news was that we could make pizza, and she went off on another ramble. She claimed she only did it when she was really happy. That was good to know. I told her the bad news, which she didn't seem to find bad at all. Personally, I hated grocery shopping. Not only did I hate it, but it would also cut into possible sexing with Sookie, though, I suppose anything we did that wasn't sexing cut into our sexing.

Sookie found the visual of me shopping funny. She mentioned me trying to avoid moms and kids. I wondered how the hell she knew that. I had to do that all the time. It was weird. It was never like that in Sweden, but I didn't really do my own shopping there. It was that way in Texas too. I actually always seemed to get the same checkout girl at the store there. Her name was Missie, and she was always very nice so I never thought anything of it, but maybe she actually liked me. I hoped I hadn't led her on or anything. I explained to Sookie that things like that actually happened. I would smile at a woman and she would keep showing up in the same aisles. It was strange. Sookie just laughed harder, and then told me that it was obvious why they were following me. Apparently, I was like some sort of fantasy for them. I couldn't figure that one out at all. I was just deciding to chalk it up to the strange psyche of a woman, when Sookie exclaimed that she was starving again.

She helped me put the pizza together, and even fed me some cheese and let me lick some sauce off her finger, which was really hot. I'd have to figure out how to get some on my chest next time, or better yet her leg. It would be tricky, but the end result would be fun. After we got it in the oven we went to the living room to pick out a movie to watch while we ate. I told her she could pick, and she decided to make another chick flick joke. I knew I would never live that down. I suggested a second shelf movie and was happy that she remembered what was on it. I let her in on why I wanted a second shelf movie, and she sexily explained to me that she liked to preview activities and asked me to show her. I loved this woman.

I sat on the couch and pulled her down to straddle me. We had kissed for a while when I ran my hands up the outside of her smooth thighs, and reached around to grab at that luscious ass of hers. When they got there they found that she wasn't wearing any underwear. _That's my girl._

"You're not wearing underwear and you wonder why I call you a minx," I told her.

"Well, then you're the male version because you were going commando earlier." She told me, and we both laughed. We began kissing again until the timer went off and we had to pull apart. The pizza was ready, and we fixed a couple plates to take back to the living room. Ansel needed to go out, so I took care of that while Sookie got the movie ready. It was cold outside and I crossed my arms on my chest, kicking myself for not throwing on a shirt. Then I saw Bill across the street staring at me from his porch. It must have been that masculine pride thing, but I immediately uncrossed my arms and waved at him, pretending the cold wasn't bothering me at all. I told myself that I had a girl inside to warm me up, which helped a little, as well as remind me that I had what Bill wanted. That always helps the male ego.

Ansel came trotting back up then and we went back inside. Sookie was sitting on the couch with a blanket over her legs. She looked so inviting and warm.

"How did you go out there without a shirt?" she asked.

"I'm a man, Sookie. We do stupid things all the time," I said as I made my way to the couch, "Now share the blanket, I'm cold."

"It's nice to hear one admit it," she laughed as she pulled the blanket off of her, and delicately wrapped it around my shoulders. I felt a little bad that she gave me the whole thing, but I figured I'd make it up to her later. She gave me my plate and started the movie. I heard her moan next to me before she exclaimed how good the pizza was. It didn't take much to make her moan. She took another huge bite and moaned again. I was beginning to wonder if I should be jealous.

It didn't take long before we were both done eating, so we started our next activity. We kissed slowly for a while, enjoying the feel and taste of each other, when out of nowhere something kicked in and I just had to have her. She was just as enthusiastic as I was about it, so I didn't hesitate in pulling out a condom. I had thought ahead and put it in my pocket when we got dressed. I didn't want to be hindered if we decided to get frisky anywhere else in the house. I'd have to buy some more and stash them in various places. She was pleased that I had it, and more than ready for me so we got down to business. About twenty minutes and two positions later, Sookie was lying on top of me as we tried to catch our breath.

"If we keep this up I won't be able to walk tomorrow." She said. I laughed and ran my fingers through her hair, feeling content and sleepy. Just as I was about to drift off Sookie moved to lie next to me, and pulled the blanket up onto us. I held her close and we drifted off to sleep.

I woke up some time later from the sound of the front door closing. Sookie was no longer next to me, so I got up and looked out the window to see that she was taking Ansel out. I smiled to myself again that she cared for him without question. I grabbed my pants and used the bathroom, before heading out to the kitchen to put up the food. I had worked up my appetite again so I grabbed a slice and leaned against the counter to eat it, crossing one foot in front of the other. Sookie and Ansel came back in then, and she looked very good in my robe for some reason. It practically swallowed her, but I seemed to like the way she looked in my things. She gave me a quick kiss, and grabbed a slice before joining me against the counter. We finished up and I put the last couple pieces in the fridge, while Sookie filled Ansel's water bowl. We turned off all the lights and went to bed.

She practically wrapped herself around me as we talked. She wanted to see Sam the next day, and asked what had happened between us in the bar. I told her the truth, and she seemed relieved and even more determined to talk to him. We decided to go to the grocery store in the morning, and then Sookie would call Sam. I was actually looking forward to it. It seemed like after she talked to him, there wasn't really anything standing in the way of us just being together, and I was looking forward to that.

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**There ya go. Coming up we'll have a talk with Sam, and then the angsty stuff...that is if I can get it to come out of me. So no promises on updates, but know that I am most definately not gonna give up. I love this story and all of you too much to do that. **

**Forgive any mistakes, I revised this in about 15 minutes in an attempt to get it out before I had to leave for work....which if I dont leave for in about 6 minutes I'll be late....boo!**

**HUGE thanks to FDM! I was really negligent with the commas in this chapter, and by golly FDM is the queen of comma fixing! *hugs***

**Thanks for reading, and please leave me a review, they'll help inspire me to get that next chapter out quickly and you'll be that much closer to knowing Eric's backstory ;)**

**P.S. Don't forget to check out Preludes and Presumptions if you haven't already! MWAH!!**


	18. Chapter 18

**So sorry about the long wait. I hope that this long ass chapter makes up for it. My muse pounced my ass and I wrote a lot three nights in a row. My muse left me as soon and this bitch was done though, so please start looking under rocks and send it's ass back my way, ****kay****? Kay. **

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Chapter 18

I woke up the next morning to the comforting sound of Eric humming, and felt the soothing sensation of his fingers running through my hair. I smiled and wrapped my arms around him. I would love wake up like that every day for the rest of my life.

"Good morning," he said, "did you sleep well?"

"I've never slept this well in my life, and since I've slept in this room before I'm going to take a leap and say it's because of you." He chuckled and kissed the top of my head.

"Same here."

We laid there for a while holding onto each other and Eric began to hum again. I enjoyed the sound; it was so calming, and so purely Eric. Then his stomach growled, and I laughed.

"Come on, let's get some food and take a shower. The sooner we get all this over with, the sooner we can hole up here and not have to see anyone but each other." He groaned, and complained, and asked for five more minutes of snuggling but I was finally able to pull him out of bed. He took Ansel out while I used the bathroom. I went to the kitchen and got Ansel some food and water, and then poured Eric and I both a bowl of cereal and a glass of OJ.

We ate our average breakfast together, and I found that I couldn't stop smiling. I wasn't sure if it was the humming from this morning, or the after effects of repeatedly having the best sex of my life, but I was just so damn happy. I caught Eric with a goofy grin on his face a few times too. We finished our cereal and made our way to the shower. Eric playfully swatted me on the butt on our way down the hall, causing me to giggle and run. He laughed and chased me into the bathroom where he caught me around the waist and turned me to kiss him. I put my hand up before he could though.

"We haven't brushed yet," I protested. He rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Alright," he said and turned to grab my toothbrush. He handed it to me and then grabbed his own. We stood side by side in front of the small sink and brushed our teeth together. He made funny faces when he brushed his teeth and I kept laughing, which isn't the wisest thing to do when you have toothpaste in your mouth. As soon as we both rinsed and put our brushes back, Eric kissed me.

"Better?" he asked.

"Much. Now let's get clean so we can give all those moms their fantasy for the day." I teased him.

"Very funny. Just for that, I'm not going to let you have any fun in the shower," he teased back.

"Well, fortunately for me I wasn't planning on letting there be any fun in the shower today."

"Oh really?" He raised one eyebrow.

"Yes, really. I think we should wait until we get everything done today. Then we can just enjoy ourselves for the rest of our time together. It'll give us something to look forward too. It'll be like an incentive to work for."

"But, Sookie. That's torture." He said it with such a helpless look on his face that I couldn't hold back a laugh.

"I think you can survive for about six hours big guy."

"_Six_hours?! Sookie, that's cruel."

"Well that's good to know. I now have a sufficient punishment for you if you piss me off in the future," I laughed.

"Then I shall have to withhold my ass."

I gasped. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would. You can't touch it or look at it, fully clothed or naked."

"Fine, five hours."

"Two."

"Eric, you're being ridiculous! It'll take thirty minutes to drive to the store, an hour to shop, and thirty to drive home, and then I have to talk to Sam." He was staring straight in my eyes, his arms crossed over his massive chest. "Fine, four."

"Three," he countered.

"Three and a half, and that's my final offer. That's cutting it close. We may have to pull the car over and do it…"

"Deal!" he cut me off. "Now let's get clean!" He was grinning like a Cheshire cat as he walked around me and got the water going.

Our shower was uneventful. It was so hard to not reach around and grab his butt, and I could tell that he was struggling to not touch me as well. I was determined to make it until the appointed time though. We decided that the clock would officially start when we left the house so we washed and dressed as quickly as possible. The weather was actually nice, so I decided to wear a dress. I can't say the thought of having sex in the car didn't have anything to do with my decision. It was just a casual sundress that came to my knees, and didn't show off any cleavage. It would be just fine for grocery shopping and my talk with Sam. Eric was wearing his jeans and a t-shirt combo again, and he still looked delicious.

When Eric started the car he gave me a meaningful look to let me know time had started. I giggled and placed my hand on his thigh.

"Sookie." He warned.

"What? We didn't negotiate that I couldn't touch your leg. As long as we aren't touching any good parts, it's not technically cheating."

"But, all your parts are good parts."

I blushed and patted his knee, "Aww, that's sweet honey. All yours are good too, but I'm talking about the really, really good parts." I ran my hand a little further up his thigh, but avoided the goods. He shifted a little.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to mess with the driver?"

I laughed and removed my hand. "I'll stop, I promise."

"You do have Sam's number right?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's still in my cell…holy shit," I grabbed my purse off the floor of the car and dug through it.

"What? What are you looking for?"

"My cell phone. I turned it off on the plane and haven't touched it since. Aha!" I exclaimed as I found it. I turned it on and hoped there weren't too many messages. I had to wait a minute for it to receive everything and then sighed.

"How bad is it?" Eric asked.

"I have 42 text messages," I dialed my voicemail and listened to the electronic voice tell me the number, "and 23 voicemails. Do you mind if I listen to them now?"

"No, not at all. I'm sure you have people very worried about you." I nodded, and pulled out the little notepad and pen I always kept in my purse. I wanted to write down anything I might need to remember.

The first few messages were from my brother. He wanted to know if he could eat the steak I had in my freezer. I rolled my eyes. He had probably already eaten everything in my apartment, which was fine. I told him he could, but the boy was a pig. He only got home cooked meals from me and I made sure he had dinner with me at least two nights a week. The next couple of messages were from Amelia, my friend and neighbor, letting me know that Jason was frequently going into my apartment and eating everything. I had told her that Jason would be getting my mail and would probably be in my apartment a lot, and she promised to make sure he was doing just that. She said in the message that she'd make sure he cleaned up any dishes he used and I was thankful for that. She also wanted to know how my vacation was going.

I had a couple from my mom wanting to know if I got home okay. Then I had a few from Jason wanting to know why I hadn't called back yet because he really wanted that steak, and then another from Amelia saying that when she was going into her apartment Jason left mine mumbling something about steak, which she thought was funny. The rest of them were all from either my mom or Amelia wondering if I was okay because it wasn't like me to ignore messages, even if I was on vacation. The last one was from Jason, telling me that he ate the damn steak, and that I could just kiss his ass if I was pissed about it.

I had written on my notepad:

_Call mom so she stops worrying. _

_Call Amelia so she stops worrying, and thank her for keeping an eye on Jason. _

_Call Jason and tell him he owes me for the steak. _

Then I dug into the texts. They were all pretty much the same as the voicemails, and they were all from my mom, Amelia, and Jason. There were a couple from Quinn as well, who still texted me every now and then asking how I was doing. The last time he called me it was just to talk and ended up inviting him over for a movie. It was stupid to do, but when we broke up we did so amicably, or so I thought. He hadn't sounded like he wanted anything more than company, but sure enough, not halfway into the movie he tried to kiss me. I quickly put the brakes on and told him to leave. I was most definitely not a booty call kind of girl, and I was livid that he thought I would be. After that I only responded to him through texts. It was only more recently that I realized that he may not have wanted a booty call, and was actually hoping to get back together with me. These texts said that he really wanted to talk to me. I swear every man in my life was trying to ruin my time with Eric.

"Damn it, Quinn." I muttered without thinking.

"What's wrong? Who's Quinn?" Eric asked.

"Um, he's my ex." I really didn't want to tell him why I was cursing Quinn.

"Is he the one Sam got me confused with?"

"Yes. He wants to talk to me. I think he wants to get back together." I noticed Eric tense up a little. Shit. I shouldn't have said that. "Look, Eric don't get upset about it. Please. I don't want to be with him, and he can't take a hint. I'll call him later and deal with it then."

"You should call him today."

"Why?"

"Just to get it over with. I know you'll be bothered by it if you don't, and I want all that stuff out of the way today so we can focus on each other for the rest of our time together."

"If I do that, then you may end up grocery shopping by yourself. I have to call my mom, my friend, and my brother too."

"That's fine. I can manage by myself."

"Even the moms?" I asked with a smile.

"Even the moms," he smirked and then said, "Sookie, I'm not going to pretend I'm not jealous of the guy, but I know you have to talk to him or it's going to drive you nuts."

"How is it possible that you know me this well already?" I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll go ahead and call my mom."

I called my mom and she immediately asked if I was okay. I apologized for not calling and told her what happened with my phone. She asked me what had me so distracted, and immediately after that asked if I had gone out to the house. My jaw dropped.

"Mom!" I couldn't believe she was suggesting that I would…well…do what I did. It wasn't exactly like she was suggesting, but she didn't have to know that. She laughed and asked if I liked him.

"We…hit it off, I suppose you could say." I had to pull the phone away from my ear because she started squealing so loudly. My mother really wanted me to find someone, and apparently she really liked Eric. I looked at him, and saw that he was smirking knowingly. I pinched his arm.

"Ow, what was that for?"

I glared at him.

"What? I can't help it if your mom likes me. You should be glad."

"_Oh is he there? I didn't interrupt anything did I?" _my mom's voice chirped through the phone. I put it back to my ear.

"I called _you_ mom. Do you really think I would call you in the middle of _that_?" Eric cracked up next to me, and I couldn't help but smile. I finished up the conversation, and promised to call her before I left and after I got back to New York. I called Jason, knowing he would be working and left him a message thanking him for picking up my mail. I knew that if he hadn't been that he would remember now. Then I told him he owed me for the steak and hung up.

"Steak?" Eric asked.

"Don't ask." I laughed as I dialed Amelia. That conversation went much like the one with my mother. She squealed when she figured out that I was with a guy. She had tried to set me up all the time with friends of her boyfriend, Tray. Quinn was one of Tray's friends, and the only one I ever got along with. The rest always acted like animals and were quite disgusting. She asked if it was serious or just a fling, and I confirmed that it was quite serious. I snuck a peek at Eric and caught his smile, which made me happy. We were on the same page.

"So do you know why Quinn wants to talk to me?" I figured I better get a heads up before I make assumptions. She told me that he had been hanging around more often, like he was hoping to see me, and that when she told him that I was on vacation for a few weeks, he stopped coming around so much.

"You don't think he wants to get back together do you?" Amelia thought so. She said that according to Tray, he hadn't been out with anyone since we broke up. "Oh no. Why? Why can't he just move on?" Eric had stiffened up again, and I wanted to slap myself. He shouldn't have to hear this. I certainly wouldn't want to hear it if it was him talking about another girl. "You know, never mind. I'll sort it out when I call him." She told me not to worry about Quinn, and to enjoy my time with my new guy. She also told me that she'd talk to Tray, and see if he could knock some sense into Quinn. I thanked her for that and for keeping an eye on Jason, and promised to let her know when I'd be home. I hung up and looked at Eric.

"This guy still loves you, doesn't he?" he said keeping his eyes forward.

"If he does, he never told me. We broke up six months ago, and I never loved him. That's why I wanted to end it. At the time he agreed that it was for the best…look, you don't have to hear all this. I'll call him now and straighten him out." We were almost to the store at that point, so Eric waited until we got there to respond. He parked the car, and then turned to face me.

"Even though I don't like thinking about you with another guy, it's still something you are going through. You can talk to me about any of it okay? Don't ever feel like you can't tell me something," he said calmly.

I smiled and leaned in to kiss him, but he leaned back. "What the hell, Eric?"

"It's not time yet," he smirked.

"Then you better get started on the groceries before I attack you." I told him. He laughed and made to get out of the car, but I stopped him. "Wait, give me your cell number so I can find you when I'm done." He gave me the number and a quick kiss on the cheek, and then went into the store. I took a deep breath and called Quinn, hoping he would answer so I could get this over with. It rang twice before he answered.

"Sookie! I'm so glad you called." He sounded way too happy about it.

"Hey, I just saw your texts and I wondered what you wanted to talk about." I tried to sound as indifferent as I could, without sounding like a bitch.

"Well, when are you coming home?"

"Not for a couple more weeks so we might as well talk now."

"Shit. I really wanted to tell you face to face. I guess I'll just come out and say it. I think it was a mistake to break up. I love you, babe. You're not like the other girls here, you're different and I want to be with you." _Shit! Fuck! Damn it all to hell! _What the hell is it with the men in my life? Why did Quinn have to choose now to tell me that he was in love with me? I didn't want to hurt him. "Babe?" he asked. I was taking too long.

"Look," I began and could practically hear the disappointment in his breathing, "Quinn, I cared for you, and I always will, but I'm not in love with you. I never was. We talked about this when we broke up remember? Just because I'm different than the girls you're used to, doesn't mean that you love me. It just means that you aren't dating the right kinds of girls."

"Have you met someone else?" he asked.

"Yes, I have." I really didn't want to hurt him.

"Do you love him?" What the hell? He was practically asking me to rip his heart out.

"Yes, I do."

After a long silence he said, "Alright. I won't bother you anymore." Why is it that when he said the one thing I wanted to hear, it made me feel horrible?

"Quinn, wait. Are you okay?"

"No, but that's not going to change anything. If you love this guy, then you should be with him. If you were in love with me I wouldn't want some sap telling you to choose him, so I won't. It wouldn't do me any good anyway. Don't worry about me babe. I'll be fine. Maybe Amelia has a friend she can set me up with." There was actually a glimmer of hope in his voice, and I smiled. I would be placing another call to Amelia.

"Thank you, Quinn. For understanding."

"Bye, Sookie."

"Bye." I hung up and took another deep breath. That wasn't as bad as I thought. Maybe he would stop calling me 'babe' now. That always sort of annoyed me. I called Amelia again to fill her in on my conversation with Quinn, and she assured me that she'd take care of it. Amelia was actually really good at setting people up. She just sucked at setting me up. There were three happily married couples that have Amelia to thank for their meeting. I had hope that Quinn would find someone that made him happy.

I looked at the time and saw that Eric had only been in the store for about twenty minutes. I got out of the car, locked it, and made my way into the building. I did a quick scan to see if I could spot him, but didn't see him anywhere so I pulled out my phone and called him. He answered right away and only said three words quietly before he hung up, "Baking aisle. Help." I had to laugh. This would be funny.

I quickly made my way back to the baking aisle and when I rounded the corner I immediately felt bad for him. He looked so helpless. He was standing in front of the flour and was trying to be polite to a middle-aged woman with three kids. There were three other women loitering in the aisle that kept looking up at him. He was politely nodding along to whatever the woman was saying to him, and I wanted to giggle. I put on my best smile and walked towards him.

"Sweetie! I've been looking everywhere for you. I'm sorry, I got distracted by the purses." I said and reached up to hug him around the neck and give him a quick peck on the lips. The woman that was talking to him smiled politely, but with an air of disappointment, and continued on down the aisle. I quickly glanced around at the other women, and they hurried on about their business.

"Thank you so much. That's the worst it's ever been. She was trying to advise me on what kind of flour to get. Apparently a man in a baking aisle needs all kinds of help." He gave me a bear hug right then to show just how relieved he was, lifting me off the ground in the process. "How was the phone call with Quinn?" he asked as he set me down.

"It was fine." I said, not really wanting to go into details.

"Sookie, you can tell me." For just a split second that pissed me off. He wanted me to tell him all about it, yet he refused to talk about something that I was dying to know about, but was patiently waiting for. Then I felt like a royal bitch. They were completely different situations. His was obviously deep and personal, whereas mine was something he knew about and just wanted details to make sure everything was fine. I really hoped my anger hadn't shown on my face.

"He told me he thought it was a mistake for us to break up and that he loves me. I reminded him of why we broke up in the first place, and he asked if I was seeing someone. Then he asked if I loved the person I was seeing. When I told him that I did he said he wouldn't bother me anymore. He wants me to be happy. So it definitely went fine. I called Amelia and she's going to set him up with some girls."

He grabbed my hand and squeezed. "Thank you for telling me." Shit. He must have seen my anger. I didn't know what to say so I squeezed his hand back.

"So, what exactly are you doing in the baking aisle?"

"Well, I want more of those delicious biscuits and for that we need flour, you'll have to tell me the other ingredients." With that we settled into a fun little groove while shopping. I had to laugh when he picked up some Snuggle fabric softener in the laundry aisle.

"What?" he asked.

"It's just, well, you're this big strong guy and you use the fabric softener with a picture of a teddy bear on it."

"What you mean Keith? Keith and I are great buddies. We have an understanding. He makes my shirts really soft so that my girlfriend can wear them all the time, which makes me really happy by the way, and I don't buy any of the competing fabric softeners in return." I think I stared at him for thirty seconds before I busted out laughing, and probably laughed for a good few minutes.

Eric put Keith in the cart and said, "Yeah, I thought you'd like that," and then he continued on down the aisle.

It only took about thirty more minutes to get everything we needed and get it up to the checkout. Eric used those eco-green bags, which just made me love him more. I told Eric I'd pay for half, and he responded my grabbing my purse and holding it above his head while he swiped his card. As soon as the cashier handed him the receipt he handed me my purse back.

"What the hell, Eric?" I asked as we walked out of the store.

"You are a guest in my house. It's bad manners to ask the guest to buy food."

"I offered." He just shrugged and smiled as if to say "too late now," and pushed the cart out to the car.

We loaded everything into the trunk and I thought we were headed home, but he drove us across the street to Target instead.

"What are we doing here?" I asked as he parked.

"I need to get something. Just stay here, I'll be back in a minute." He smiled and got out of the car. I watched him walk in and disappear behind the automatic doors. I figured I could go ahead and call Sam while I waited. I got my phone out, found his number, and pressed talk. It only rang a couple times before he answered.

"Sam? It's Sookie." He didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"Hi." He always was a man of few words. More than that, he thought I wouldn't forgive him. Sam knew that when I was pissed, you just had to wait for me to come around.

"Are you busy today?" I asked.

"No, not at all. I'm just in the bar all day doing boring paperwork, stuff like that."

"Would you mind if I stopped by in a bit? I need to talk to you."

"Sure Sookie. Come by anytime, I'll be here."

"Okay, Sam. See you soon." I said and hung up. I looked up at the store to see Eric walking towards the car with a sack full of something. I couldn't tell what it was through the plastic. He got in the car and set the bag on the floorboard behind the seat.

"What did you get?" I asked.

"Condoms," he said nonchalantly. I don't know why, but my jaw dropped and I turned around in my seat to look into the sack. My jaw dropped even further when I saw what was in it. I stuck my hand in the bag and moved them around a bit to see how many he bought, before I turned back around in the seat and glared at him.

"Do you really think you're going to get lucky a hundred and twenty more times before I leave?"

He smirked, "I'd rater be prepared for the possibility, than have to run back to the store again, leaving you all hot and bothered."

"A hundred and twenty times, Eric? Neither one of us would have any body fluids left." As soon as the words were out of my mouth I had to laugh. Eric started the car and we got back on the highway to head home.

"I called Sam. He'll be at the bar all day. Would you mind taking me in there after we get the groceries home?"

"Not only do I not mind, I insist. I need to be there when our time limit is up, and we're coming up on hour three. Not much time left." We smiled at each other, and I scooted over in the seat and Eric put his arm around me. I rested my head on his shoulder as he began to rub my arm lightly. It was just one of those moments where we were both perfectly content and nothing needed to be said.

We got home and Eric let Ansel out while we carried all the groceries inside. As soon as everything was put away and Ansel back inside with fresh water, we got back in the car and headed for Merlotte's. When we parked I asked Eric if he was coming inside with me.

"Not yet, I'm going to go get the part to fix the tail light so we don't get pulled over again. It'll take 15 minutes tops, but when I get done I'll come straight back."

"That sounds good. Call me when you get back, okay?" He looked confused, but agreed. I gave him a quick kiss and told him I loved him, before heading into the bar. It wasn't that busy, and the no-name waitress from the other day was glaring at me.

"Is Sam in his office?" I asked. She nodded and turned her back to me to go behind the bar. _Bitch_.

I walked down the hall to Sam's office and knocked on the door. "Sam? It's Sookie." Not ten seconds later the door jerked open.

"Come on in." I walked in, and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. He took the other one and turned to toward me, before he sat down in it.

"Sam, I want to apologize to you. I overreacted big time, and I was a bitch, and I'm sorry. You're one of my oldest friends, and I'm so sorry I treated you that way." Yeah, he wasn't expecting that at all. His mouth was hanging open.

"Why the hell are you apologizing? I was the asshole. I never should have said what I did. I'm sorry, Sookie."

"You're right, you shouldn't have said it, but you know that and I'm sure you've already kicked yourself enough for it. I do want you to know that it's not true."

"What's not true?"

"That Eric and Selah slept together. Never happened."

"Sookie, I don't want to start anything, but how can you be sure?"

"How did you find out?" I asked him.

"Selah came in and started gossiping about it, and it made the rounds," he said reasonably.

"And when did that happen?"

"Oh, it was a while ago." he paused to think, "About the time Eric stopped coming…shit. Sookie I'm so sorry. I should have known she was lying. I just didn't think she'd have any reason to lie about that."

"It's okay Sam. I know the truth, and now you do too. It doesn't matter."

"So we're okay?"

"Yes, as long as you promise not to jump to conclusions anymore and trust my judgment."

"I promise," he laughed, and we hugged. I had only been there about ten minutes, so we started talking and catching up on each other's lives. I filled him in on what I had been doing and why I was back, and he told me how things were going with him and some old friends. Then he brought up Eric.

"So what's the deal with you and him?"

"We're together."

"And…how did you meet, what's the story?" he pressed.

"We met the day I came back. I went out to the house to take some pictures and I met him. We hit it off and now we're together. I love him." I could tell this wasn't going to sit well with Sam. He was regarding me skeptically.

"Bullshit."

"Sam!"

"It's bull Sookie," he laughed. "I know you better than that. You wouldn't start something with a guy when you're only going to be here for a few weeks, and you certainly wouldn't say that you loved him only after a few days."

He was right. Normally I wouldn't, but my relationship with Eric wasn't based in anything normal. Maybe we could tell Sam about the dreams. I would definitely have to ask Eric, but maybe those close to us could know. Sam would never buy the cover story, and he would never tell anyone about the dreams if we asked him not to. I had to tell him something now, and I was having a hard time trying to figure out what I could say that would satisfy him until I could talk to Eric. Luckily, my phone rang and I didn't have to come up with anything at all. It was Eric.

"Hi, did you get it fixed?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's fixed. I'm out front. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. Stay there, I'll be there in a minute." I said, and then hung up.

"Sam, I'll be right back." He nodded and I left his office to get Eric. I found him leaning against the car.

"What was with the phone call?" he asked.

"I want you to meet Sam." I told him.

"I'm confused. I've already met Sam. He doesn't like me."

"He was judging you based on your actions. I know the real you, and I want Sam to see what you're really like as well."

"Okay then. Let's have him meet the boyfriend shall we?" He said, as he offered me his arm.

I linked my arm in his, "There's one thing we need to talk about first. I tried to tell him our cover story, and he's not buying it. He knows me well enough to know that I wouldn't just be with someone I just met."

His expression grew serious, "Do you want to tell him about the dreams?"

"I think we may have to. We can get out of it today and discuss it later, but he's definitely not buying the story."

"I think I want to talk about it. I don't think I'm comfortable with anyone else knowing yet. Is that okay with you?"

"That's totally fine. I'd rather talk about it too. So let's get in there and get you two introduced." We began walking back into the bar, and I looked at the time on my cell phone. "We have thirty minutes left." Eric didn't say anything; he just walked faster.

When we walked in we were met with glares from most of the women in the establishment, but I paid them no mind. I lead Eric back to Sam's office and knocked on the door again. I heard Sam's voice telling us to come in and I opened the door and stepped inside, hand in hand with Eric. Sam was sitting behind his desk, and he immediately stood up as soon as he saw Eric.

"Sam, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Eric Northman." I said cheerfully. "Eric this is Sam. He's a very good friend of mine." I watched as they shook hands and exchanged polite nods.

After about ten minutes of polite conversation, where the boys pretended they'd never met for my benefit, I told Eric we'd better get going so we could let Ansel out. This was exactly why I needed a pet. They were perfect for getting you out of somewhere early. I couldn't tell you how many times I told guys that I had to go feed my pet to get away quickly. I promised Sam that I'd see him again before I went back to the city, and then Eric and I went back to the car.

"Time?" Eric asked as he got in the drivers seat.

"Fifteen minutes. We can be home in ten." I said cheerfully. I was so happy that I'd actually gotten everything accomplished today that I wanted to, and then some. On top of that, I was fifteen little minutes away from getting me some. I was so caught up in my thoughts about the fun I was about to have, that when I looked at the clock I saw that twelve of those minutes had already come and gone, and we weren't home yet. We weren't even on the right street.

"Eric, where the hell are we going?"

"What? Oh damn. I guess I took a wrong turn somewhere. Let me just pull over so we can see where we're at," he said as he pulled off the street onto a gravel road. He drove down it about a half mile, and pulled into a clearing to park between a couple of trees. "Oh, look at the time. I guess we'll just have to take advantage of our seclusion. A deal's a deal."

"You are a deceiving, conniving ass, you know that?" I told him with a smirk.

"And?"

"And I absolutely love you for it," I said, and then I had my hands in his hair and we were kissing like we hadn't touched each other in days.

It became obvious fairly quick that the front seat was not going to suit our needs, so we reassessed the situation and relocated to the backseat. Eric sat in the middle and I straddled his lap. He unzipped the back of my dress enough for me to pull my arms free from it and my bra, and then he peeled the fabric down to expose my breasts. He brushed his thumbs across my already hard nipples causing a hoarse moan to issue from me, and then he teased them with his mouth, nibbling, sucking, and licking. I thought I was in heaven, and then his hands made their way up the skirt of my dress and began tugging on my underwear. I lifted up in his lap and he pulled them down. It took a little maneuvering, but we got them completely off and they were thrown somewhere in the car. Eric's hand found my center as we kissed and slid a finger into me and curled it. I cried out and wrapped my arms around his neck.

I could feel his erection straining against the fabric of his jeans and pressing into my leg. I quickly undid the button and zipper, and was quite relieved to find that he had gone commando again. I stroked him firmly a few times and he groaned loudly.

"Sookie, I can't wait," he said breathlessly. I nodded to him and he pulled his hand away from me and sat up a little. He found the sack from Target, ripped open one of the boxes, and pulled a condom out. He tore it open with his teeth, but I took it from him so that I could roll it onto him myself. Eric really seemed to like that. After I got it on, I stopped to kiss him for a second, and then I raised myself up in his lap, put him at just the right spot, and then slowly lowered myself. I ground into him a bit when our hips met, and he growled in appreciation.

As I began to rise up and lower myself down on him, he continued to tease my nipples, and started to suck on my neck. I moaned loudly and started to move faster in his lap. My hands tugged at his shirt and he lifted his arms so I could pull it off, and then my fingers found his nipples. I pinched them and twisted slightly, just the way he liked, and then captured his mouth with mine. His hands found my hips, and helped me pick up the pace a little. Our movements became faster, and Eric placed one hand on the small of my back and used the other to rub my most sensitive spot. Not long after, I cried out as I came, grinding down onto his lap. Eric growled, then stiffened and thrust into me a few extra times as he released.

We slowly rode out the aftershocks and kissed each other sweetly. We clung together for a few minutes whispering how much we loved each other, and then reluctantly pulled apart and set ourselves to rights. We got back in the front seat where I found my underwear hanging from the rearview mirror, and Eric turned to smirk at me.

"What?" I asked.

"A hundred and nineteen more to go." We laughed together on that one, and then Eric drove us home.

The next week and a half seemed to fly by. We spent all day and night just being together. We talked about the dreams, and determined that we would decide together if and who we would tell about them. We agreed that we would tell Sam, who actually didn't think we were crazy. Sam was a big believer in the paranormal, and though he didn't think what happened to us was paranormal, he believed it was possible. He and Eric actually got along, and I was sure it wasn't solely for my benefit.

Everything felt so right with Eric and me. We fell into a wonderful routine of simply doing what we felt like doing. We'd wake up each morning, and either make love or cuddle for a while, and then one or both of us would make breakfast. After breakfast we'd shower together, and then we just did what we felt like. We'd go for a walk in the field, or watch a movie, or make love and take long naps. We would do productive things, too. Eric would try to write while I took pictures, but more often than not he and Ansel would come out with me. When Eric wrote, I would sit on the couch in his study and either read, or edit my pictures on my laptop. I loved to listen to the sound of his typing fill the room. He wouldn't tell me what his book was about, just that it was inspired by our story. He told me that I would have to wait and read it when it was published. Then there were the times Eric worked out. The last two times he didn't complete it. It was too much for me to handle, and I attacked him when he laid back on the weight bench. I was right about that one; it wasn't all that comfortable for him so we took that party to the couch.

I was down to just a few days left, when Eric told me he wanted to come back to New York with me. He said that he wanted to meet my brother, and see where I lived. He tried to play it off a bit by telling me that his publishing house was in New York, so he could stop by to sign the contract for his new book while he was there. I was completely ecstatic that our time together was going to be extended. I was actually so happy when he told me, that I jumped him and we made love on the floor of the kitchen where he had been standing.

I didn't have any more incidents with Bill, and managed not to run into anyone I didn't want to see. I called Amelia, and she was able to set Quinn up with a nice girl and they hit it off. We started packing up Eric's clothes so that he would be ready to go, and bought him a ticket on my flight. I made sure to pack all his shirts so that I could enjoy them. He made sure to pack all the condoms. We made arrangements with Sam to care for Ansel while Eric was gone. He figured he would stay for a week or so, and then come back. What he didn't tell me, but I overheard while he was on the phone in his study, was that he had contacted a realtor in New York to start looking at pet-friendly apartments.

We were happy, and still in that honeymoon phase, when everything came crashing down around us. I think even before I woke that morning I knew there was something wrong. I knew that Eric wasn't next to me; I couldn't feel his warmth. I tried to tell myself that he just got up to use the bathroom, but I knew that wasn't true. Dread washed over me when my ears picked up on his hushed voice coming from the other room. I got out of bed and, because I was still naked from our late-night love session, pulled on Eric's robe. As I got closer to the door, I could make out a little more of his voice and was able to tell that he was having a phone conversation in Swedish. I had only heard him use Swedish during sex, and this would have been extremely arousing if he didn't sound so angry. He sounded like he was in his study, which was right next to the bedroom, so I peeked around the corner. He was pacing back and forth talking, or arguing, with someone on his cell. He either heard me or sensed I was there, because he suddenly stopped and looked right into my eyes. I froze. The emotion in them shocked me. He looked like he was feeling so many things. Anger seemed to be the main one at the moment. Something was very wrong. He said one last thing to the person on the phone and shut it.

"Sookie…" he began, but couldn't seem to get the words out. Regret and hurt were all I saw coming from him now.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice full of concern. From the look on his face I knew whatever he was going to say would hurt.

"I have to leave."

* * *

**O****kay****, just so you know, I'm ****fucknervous**** about this chapter, so please be kind. Things are about to change and since my muse is MIA, I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it. Rest assured that I know where I'm going with this, it's just not flying off my fingertips. So no promises about quick updates. **

**I do lo****ve**** all of you that read this story and I really appreciate it when you take the time to review. Even if it's a just a little, "good job" it makes me happy. I respond to every review, but for those of you who are anonymous or aren't logged in when you review, I want to say thank you to you as well. **

**Big, big thank you to FDM, the comma queen. She just surpassed 800 reviews on her fuckawesome fic Chasing The Light....do you need any other reason to read it? Nope, so go on, read it... **

**The loverly Zigster gets a thank you as well for naming the snuggly bear. As does Family Guy and her buddy. *grins***

**Again, thank you all so much for reading. Now push that green button and tell me you didn't hate it *awkward smile***


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello again! First thing's first, THANK YOU for the enormous and wonderful response to the last chapter. I've never gotten that many reviews for one chapter and they were all amazing! I love you guys so much!**

**This chapter is jumping back in time to the day Eric left Sweden. Basically, this is Eric's backstory. Telling it like this saved me from writing a bunch of awkward dialogue for when he tells Sookie. I hope you don't get too confused, and if you have any questions, just ask ;)**

Chapter 19

I was staring at the doctor in shock. "So the cancer is gone. All of it? She's going to be fine?" She looked so sick, that I hadn't believed she would recover at all.

The older man patted me on the shoulder, "Yes, it's gone, though there's always a chance it could come back. I'll be heading off now."

I can't even describe the relief I felt. I turned and hugged my silently crying sister to me. It was the first time I'd seen her cry during this whole ordeal. Pam was tough, and rarely let her emotions show. "She's going to be fine, Pam. She beat it."

She hugged me back and said, "I know, but it could come back, Eric. I don't know if she can go through this again."

I pulled away to look her in the eye, "Don't think about it like that Pam. She beat it. We should just spend all the time we can with her. She needs to live her life to the fullest right now. She doesn't need us worrying about whether or not it'll come back."

She wiped her tears away slowly and nodded. "Okay, let's go see her."

We walked hand in hand into our mother's room. She was lying on her bed, and she looked exhausted, but she was smiling. Our mother was quite the knockout in her younger days; with long blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes, and she was the kindest person I'd ever known. The cancer and chemo had done quite a number on her. Her hair had fallen out, and her eyes weren't as bright as they used to be, but she still smiled through them.

"Come here," she said, holding her arms out for us. We walked over to the bed, and each of us sat on either side of her. Pam hugged her torso, and I took her hand. "It's okay, Pam. It's gone," she said as she stroked her hair.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her.

"Outstanding. It's such a relief to know that it's gone." She paused for a moment, and looked as though she was studying me, "I want you to promise me something right now, Eric," she said with such seriousness that I knew I'd have to agree to it.

I nodded.

"I want you to pursue your writing."

I immediately balked. "Dad will never let that happen. I can't even get the publishers to look at my stuff. He paid them off."

"Then try harder, go to America if you must, but you have to pursue it. The light in your eyes when you talked to me about your writing gave me such hope. I don't want to see that light diminish for anything, especially not your father, do you understand?" She spoke with such determination. I knew I couldn't refuse.

"Yes, I do, and I will. I promise." She squeezed my hand, and then turned to Pam.

"Pam, I want you to promise me that you will always do what you want. If you want to go into the family business, do it. I know you will be successful in whatever you choose to do, so don't let your father hinder your choice. You must stand up to him."

"I will, only if you promise us something." Pam told her.

"What is it?"

"Leave Dad." Our mother instantly put on her guarded face, the one that we had seen so much while growing up.

"You know that's impossible."

"If he can flaunt his lovers in front of you, and beat you, and completely ignore you when you've got cancer, cancer that you beat, then you can leave his ass." Pam said.

"Pamela! Watch your mouth. I never wanted any of that to affect the two of you. I knew how your father was when I married him. I made my bed, and now I shall lie in it."

I spoke up, "That's not good enough, Mom. How can you expect me to leave you here with him, knowing what he does to you?"

"You shouldn't worry about me, and you already promised me, Eric. You're not going to make this a stipulation of your promise."

"Do it, Mom. Please!" Pam was crying again. "I can't stand the thought of him hurting you again."

"No!" Mom never raised her voice to us. I stood up, and Pam cried harder. "Even after all he's done to me, he still gave me the two of you. You are the most amazing children anyone could ask for."

"We're amazing because you raised us. He did nothing." I told her. I couldn't believe she wanted to stay with him.

"He will let me have my own life now, and I don't wish to destroy his. I don't like what he's done to me, but I still don't wish him any harm," she said calmly.

I sat back down on the bed next to her, picking up her hand again, "Then you are a better person than I will ever be."

"I think you underestimate yourself. Now, go to Sophie. I know you've been missing her."

"I want to be here when you talk to Dad. He won't lay another hand on you."

She nodded in understanding, "I'll wait to talk to him as long as I can. I love you, Eric."

I smiled and kissed her forehead. "I love you too, Mom."

I nodded to Pam, who offered me a small smile, and then I left. Pam didn't like Sophie one bit. She told me over and over how she thought Sophie was nothing but scum, but she learned that she wasn't going to persuade me so she stopped telling me so much.

Sophie and I got together at school, three years prior. We met at a party, and have been together ever since. Now that we're out of school, and because she went to university, we don't see each other as much. Then Mom found out she had cancer, so I stayed home to help her. She didn't want some nurse taking care of everything, and my father was useless. He didn't even bat an eye when he was told the diagnosis. He just wanted to know how much the treatments were going to cost him.

I wanted to go to school with Sophie to pursue literature, but my father refused to pay for school because he wanted me to join the family business. I had no intentions of doing so, although Pam had always shown an interest in it. Our father wanted his son to follow him though, and he wouldn't accept Pam. He often made it perfectly clear that he never wanted her. He only wanted sons. I'm actually quite sure that Pam was the result of one of the nights he came home drunk and lonely.

I'm relieved that we have the mother we do though. She insisted on raising us herself. She played with us, cooked for us, did our laundry, cleaned up after us, disciplined us, and most of all, she loved us. She tried to shield us from our father for as long as she could, but I figured it out soon enough, so she and I both tried to protect Pam from him, but she was one smart girl.

It was a thirty-minute drive to Sophie's college and I sped almost the whole way, making it there in record time. I loved Sophie. She was willing to let me spend the time with my mother that I needed too, and never complained. I was looking forward to getting to spend more time with her now that my mother was cancer-free.

My mother and Pam had both met her, but I'd never introduced her to my father. I was sure he would deem her not good enough for me, or try to hit on her. Sophie was a beautiful girl. She had brown hair, brown eyes, and a slight figure. A lot of other guys chased after her, but I had no doubts of her faithfulness. I could never imagine her doing something like that. Not only could I not imagine it, my best friend Andre went to the same school as her, and he regularly told me that she never looked twice at any other men. I never asked him to watch her, I trusted her, but it felt good to know from someone else anyway.

I made my way up to her dorm room, and let myself in like I always did. She shared a suite with another girl, but I'd never met her. Sophie said she was a party girl and was never around, so I never bothered knocking. The lights were off when I walked in and I was immediately met with the sounds of a man groaning and the distinct banging of a headboard against a wall. I figured the party-girl must be home. That is, until I realized that as I walked towards Sophie's end of the suite, the noises got louder. I heard moaning; moaning that sounded exactly like Sophie's moaning. You would think that I would have been angry, but the first thing I felt was protective. Even though, looking back, it was quite obvious what was happening, I was sure that someone was forcing himself on her.

I threw the door open, pulled the guy off of her, and had him pinned against a wall before either of them knew what hit them.

She shrieked, "Stop it!"

"Are you alright?" I calmly asked her. It still hadn't hit me what was going on.

"Eric? I'm fine." It was slowly starting to come to me. She said she was fine. It was dark in the room, and I couldn't see the guy's face, so I let go of him and flipped on the light. Sophie was kneeling in the middle of the bed, holding a sheet over her sweat-covered body, looking very flustered and scared. I turned my head to look at the guy against the wall, and saw a very guilty-looking Andre.

"Eric, man. I'm so sorry." He said as he put his hands up in a surrender position.

I stared at him in anger as what was happening finally hit me full-force. I turned to look at Sophie again and she had the same guilty expression on her face that Andre did.

I looked right into her eyes and said, "How long?"

"Eric, don't do this."

"How long, Sophie? Since you went to school, or since I had stayed home to take care of my dying mother? Hmm?"

Andre chose to speak up, "It just happened. I was looking out for her, and we had a few drinks one night…"

"We're in love, Eric. I didn't want to break up with you while you were dealing with your mother."

"So you slept with my best friend behind my back, and hoped that when I found out I would be okay with it?"

"No, Eric, please this is hard enough. I care for you…"

"No," I said coldly, and as calm as I could manage, "No, you do not. You should know that my mother is now cancer-free. I suppose I found out about the two of you at the right time then. You know, now that I don't have to deal with my mother anymore." Sophie had begun crying, and Andre was shifting awkwardly against the wall.

"Oh, save your tears sweetheart. You're both dead to me now, and I won't mourn your loss." With that, I walked out of the room, and never looked back.

I got in my car, and drove to the nearest store, where I bought a big bottle of liquor. I never drank because of my father, but for some reason it seemed like a good idea. I wasn't stupid enough to drink while driving, so I drove home. I went out behind the house, and drank the entire bottle in fifteen minutes. As much as I wanted to believe that I wouldn't mourn, I did. I was heartbroken. I really thought Sophie loved me. Maybe I didn't really love her; maybe she was just some sort of escape for me from my family. Obviously Pam saw right through her. Mom was less than impressed too. She tried to hide it, but I could tell.

I kept replaying the moment in my mind when I realized she was cheating on me with my best friend. It stung, but I was quickly replacing the sting with anger. I was pissed. I had gone there with the intention of reuniting with my girlfriend, and practically got a punch in the gut in return. I was feeling pretty buzzed, and thinking about getting back in my car to give Sophie and Andre a piece of my mind. Then Pam found me.

"What the hell are you doing, Eric?" she said as she picked up the empty bottle off the ground. "You're wasted? What is wrong with you? After everything with Dad and you pull this?!" she was yelling at me.

"Sophie's fucking Andre." Pam immediately sat down beside me and stayed silent. I relayed to her what happened, and how long it had been happening. I felt my anger subsiding as depression took its place.

"Eric, I'm sorry."

"No, just say 'I told you so' little sister. I know you want to." I said bitterly. I should have listened to Pam.

"I don't want to say that at all. I hate seeing you hurt. You don't deserve this."

"I have nothing. She was the only thing I had to look forward to. I can't pursue anything that Dad doesn't like, and I don't have the money to go to America."

"Yes, you do." She was smiling.

"What does that mean? You know that we don't have any money of our own."

"Remember how we never used any of the Christmas presents or birthday gifts we got from Dad?" I nodded. "Well, I've been selling them and stashing the money."

"All of them?" I asked. She nodded, still smiling. We always got the best of the best in presents from our dad, top of the line electronics and such. He never actually bought them, of course. That was a job for his secretaries.

"How much?"

"A lot. It's enough to pay your way to America, and find an apartment. You'd need to get a job fairly soon though."

I pulled her to me and hugged her tight. "You are the greatest sister in the world."

"I know. I get half though."

"That's fine. I don't want to leave you here alone to deal with him. If he starts hitting you too…Pam, I'll kill him."

"That's the alcohol talking. You won't kill anyone. Now, come on. Dad just got home before I came out here. Mom can't stall him forever." She helped me up and I swayed on my feet a little. She put my arm over her shoulder and helped me inside.

"Mom's gonna kill me. She'll never forgive me for getting drunk."

"She'll understand, but she won't be happy. Take it like a man Eric. I know there's one in there somewhere." I messed up her hair with my hand like a good brother should, and she laughed.

As we got closer to our mother's room we heard shouting. Pam let go of me and ran ahead. "Pam, wait." I called after her as I tried to get there without falling over. I listened to the voices drifting out of the room and down the hall.

"How dare you!" That was Pam.

"Don't speak to me girl," came my father's voice.

"Don't you lay a hand on her," came my mother's after which I heard a distinct slap.

I felt a surge of adrenaline, and ran into the room. My father was standing at the foot of my mother's bed, and I could tell he had been drinking. Pam lay at his feet, holding her hand to her cheek. Mom was crying on the bed.

I went to Pam, and trying to control my rage, helped her up off the ground. She looked me in the eyes and shook her head in a warning manner. I wasn't going to take that warning. I moved her behind me, and then faced my father head on.

"Why don't you hit me? Why do you have to hit women? Does that make you feel more powerful?" He was smiling.

My father was the same height as me, but Pam and I looked nothing like him. We both looked like our mother. That's when it hit me. He wasn't our father. I looked back and forth between them and that's when I finally saw it. It was why she wouldn't leave him. No matter what evidence she had of his abuse and infidelities, she had two children with someone else. If she tried to put my father through a nasty divorce, he would air all her dirty laundry. He would show that she had cheated since the beginning, having two bastard children. He would make himself look like an honorable man by not divorcing her back then; by raising us as his own and never disputing it. The public would eat that shit up, and my mother would be stripped of everything. While I knew she wasn't ashamed of us, she was ashamed of what she had done. She was a good person, and probably felt an enormous amount of guilt. She was protecting me and Pam as well. She didn't want us to be stripped of everything too. As long as we were here, we had a chance in society. Screw that. Pam and I were tough. We could make it on our own.

"Mom? Is it true?" I asked her. She knew exactly what I was talking about.

"What?" Pam asked, "Is what true?"

Our mother simply nodded, and then hung her head in shame.

"Well, it took you long enough to figure it out my boy," the man I thought was my father said. I can't even begin to describe the relief I felt that this asshole wasn't my real dad. At the same time I felt such anger that my mother put up with his abuse to protect me. I didn't care I hadn't had two pennies to rub together my whole life; anything would have been better than what we got.

"I'm not your boy. You will stop hurting our mother, or I will kill you myself"

"What's going on?" Pam asked again.

"Your brother just figured out that your mother is a whore."

I was barely holding my rage in.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Pam said.

"He's not your father Pam," I heard my mother say. "You and Eric have the same father, but it's not him. He's always known."

"Thank God!" Pam practically yelled, and I wanted to smile, but I was still too pissed. "Why didn't you ever tell us?" That's when it hit Pam. "Oh, Mom. You didn't have to go through all this for us. As long as we had you, we would have been fine."

Marcus, the man who was formerly my father, but whom I was glad to say would no longer be thought of as such, was staring intently at my mother.

"So now you have them thinking you're some sort of fucking martyr?" He yelled as he moved towards her with hostile intent. There was no fucking way he was going to hurt her again. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and spun him around, and then I landed a single punch on his jaw. He staggered backwards, and brought his hand up to touch his mouth where it was bleeding. "You fucking bastard!" he shouted, and then ran at me.

I caught him around the throat and slammed him against the wall, where I began to punch him repeatedly in the face. My mother was screaming for me to stop, but Pam was eerily silent. My brain finally caught up with me and I stopped hitting him. I let go, and took a step back. His face had blood all over it. I looked down at my hand and saw that it too was covered in his blood. He was wheezing. Mom yelled for Pam to go get help, and when she didn't move, picked up the phone and called for an ambulance.

"Get the fuck out of my house boy." Marcus wheezed. "Never come back or I will press charges against you, and I'll divorce your mother and see to it that she and your sister never recover from the shame of what they are. You know I make good on my promises."

"Eric," my mother called weakly from across the room. I turned and went to her, taking her hand as I sat down. "Take the money your sister has, and go. I don't want this kind of thing on your record. He's not worth it. Go."

"I won't leave the two of you here to deal with him."

Pam came to sit beside us.

"We'll be fine, Eric. Pam and I are going to start traveling, like we used to when you were children. Maybe we'll even come visit you. I won't see you destroyed by him. I love you, now go."

I looked at Pam. She had silent tears streaming down her face. Even though she planned on letting me go anyway, the two of us had never separated. I had always been protective of her, and as a result we were practically twins. We all understood that if I left because of this, I couldn't come back. Not anytime soon at least. We'd spend years apart. There would be no way that Marcus would let them come to America to visit me.

I turned back to Mom and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Mom. I wouldn't be who I am without you. You're the best mother a kid could ask for." She let her tears fall and we hugged one last time.

I tore myself away from her, and looked down at the bleeding man on his knees. "If you ever hurt them again, I _will_ come back and kill you."

With that, Pam and I left the room and we ran into my room to throw some stuff in a suitcase. I was able to pack most of my clothes into, while Pam got a bunch of bathroom stuff together for me. I made sure to get my laptop as well. Pam grabbed copies of some of my favorite books, all first editions, and all worth a lot of money, and stuffed them into my suitcase carefully.

"Sell them if you have to, I'll find replacements."

I washed my hands and changed my clothes quickly, and then I followed her across the hall to her room where she retrieved the cash, handing me a huge wad.

"Pam, you said half."

"You need it more than me. Now let's get going. I'll drive you to the airport."

We got in Pam's car as the ambulance pulled up, and I realized how sober I was. I had never been drunk before, but I was pretty damn sure that you weren't supposed to be able to sober up that fast. Although I probably just felt sober, I still shouldn't drive or anything. Pam handed me a package of breath mints.

"Eat them. You don't want to show up at the airport drunk."

I silently ate mints the whole way to the airport. I was shivering from the adrenaline rush. When we got there I bought a ticket on the next flight to New York, which wasn't for three hours. I got my baggage checked, and then Pam and I waited. We sat together in the waiting area and she reached over to grab my hand.

"Don't disappoint her, Eric." She said seriously. "Please don't. Go over there and make something of yourself. You are so talented, and I know you can do it."

"I will. I promise you that I will. Don't let him hurt either of you again. As soon as she is able, start traveling. Stay away from him as much as you can. Please, Pam. I can't lose either one of you, and I won't see you two shamed."

"We'll be fine. If that happens, we'll just come live with you."

We sat there in silence until I had to board the plane. I was actually scared. I'd never ventured out on my own before. I always had Pam with me at least. I turned to her and hugged her tighter than I ever had.

"Thank you, Pam," I whispered in her ear, "I love you, little sis."

"I love you too, big bro," she whispered back.

I stepped back and took one last look at my sister, who finally had her strong exterior back in place, and then I turned around and boarded the plane.

* * *

**Big, Huge, Enormous thank you to FDM, my beta. I was being all insecure and shiz over this one, and she held my hand assured me it was fine. Everyone give her bear hugs and massages. The woman has superpowers, I'm telling you! **

**You will find out who was on the phone, as well as why he has to go back in the next chapter, which I have been working on. I'm almost done with the next chapter of Studybuddies though, so expect that next ;)**

**So what did you think? **


	20. Chapter 20

**Annnnnndddd I'm back! I got a couple questions about the last chapter as to how long ago it was, so I'll clarify that now. I should have done that last chapter, but I totally forgot. **

**So, the day Eric left Sweden was 7 years ago when he was 20. He spent 2 in NY, and then moved to Texas for a while, then to Missouri where's he's been just over a year. He is now 27. Sookie just turned 19 when she moved to NY 5 years ago and is now 25. **

**kkkk...on with the show...**

* * *

Chapter 20

I woke up in a cold sweat. I knew something was wrong; I could feel it in my bones. Sookie was still sleeping peacefully next to me, and I tried to shake it off, but there was something telling me that this day was not going to be a good one.

I carefully got out of bed, so as not to disturb Sookie, and pulled on my flannel pants. I used the bathroom, and splashed some water on my face. I kept telling myself that everything would be fine. I was leaving with Sookie in two days, and everything would be fine. I almost had myself convinced when I heard my cell going off in my study. My heart sank and I went in to see who it was. When I saw the number, my heart sank even further.

I flipped the phone open and pressed it to my ear, "Pam?"

"Hello, big brother."

It was the first time I had heard her voice in more than two years. I couldn't speak. Just hearing her voice brought back a lot of memories, both good and bad.

"Are you not going to say anything?" she asked.

"Hi." I choked out.

I heard her cynical sigh, and then she said, "I might as well come out with it. You have to come home."

"Why? What happened?"

"Mom just found out that the cancer is back. It's bad, Eric. When she told Marcus…" she trailed off, and I wanted to throw something.

"Marcus what, Pam? What did he do?"

"He beat her. Badly. Worse than he ever has." I couldn't speak. I was that enraged. Pam continued, "He's gotten worse, Eric. He drinks almost non-stop now."

"Where is Mom?"

"In the hospital. They want to send her home tomorrow, but Eric…" her voice had cracked.

"How bad is it, Pam?" I was scared to death to hear the answer, but I knew I had to.

"They're giving her less than a year. She'll have to spend her last year in that house with that man. That's why you have to come. If you come get her, he won't do anything."

"Less than a year?" I couldn't believe it. I had wasted so much time.

"Yes. When can you leave? Do you have someone to take care of your dog?"

I immediately assumed Sookie would take care of him for me. Sookie. Fuck.

"Shit, Sookie." I said out loud.

"What's a Sookie? I thought your dog was named Ansel."

"Sookie is a woman. She's my girlfriend. Pam… I love her. She doesn't know about any of this. I have no idea what she's going to think with me just up and leaving."

"First things first, sit down and book your flight."

I did as I was told and while I was doing it, she talked to me calmly about Sookie.

"She's not another Sophie, is she?"

"No, Pam, she's not. Thanks for bringing her up. Sookie's…amazing, and so perfect." I realized that I couldn't find the words to describe her accurately.

"How long have you two been together?" she asked.

"Almost three weeks, but don't judge that, there's a story behind it that I can't tell you right now. You and Mom have to meet her. I know you'll love her."

"Eric, if you truly love her, so will we. As far as leaving her goes, if you tell her why, she'll understand. At least if she loves you she will."

"How can I expect her to understand something as fucked up as Marcus? On top of that, how am I supposed to leave her right after she finds out how I abandoned you and Mom?"

"Eric, don't. You did what she asked, what we both asked. I understand why you broke contact too," she said calmly. I was getting pissed again. My flight was confirmed, so I closed my computer, and began pacing the room.

"How can you understand that? It was selfish, and stupid of me. I'm an asshole for doing it, and you should hate me for it."

"You did what you had to do. At least I had Mom; you were all alone! I don't blame you one bit, and neither does she! Stop beating yourself up over it!"

"You should blame me!" At that moment I just felt that Sookie was there, and when I turned towards the door, I saw her. She was standing in the doorway, wearing my robe, looking confused and worried as hell. "I'll call you before the flight." I said into the phone, and shut it.

"Sookie…" I started, but I couldn't get the words out.

"What's going on?" She asked. How could I lay all this on her right now? I had to leave her in less than six hours, and I knew I couldn't go without giving her an honest explanation. I took the band-aid approach.

"I have to leave." I told her. She looked hurt and confused.

"What do you mean? When? Wait, where are you going?" It was killing me that I hadn't told her anything before. Now I had to get it all out at once, and I had never told anyone before. I could only hope that she would understand.

"Back to Sweden. My plane leaves in six hours, so we don't have much time." I felt so guilty.

"Eric, you need to tell me what's going on right now. Who was that on the phone?" She looked like she was ready to burst into tears. I took her hand and led her back to the bedroom. I sat down on the bed Indian style leaning against the headboard, and Sookie sat in front of me.

"I'll try to explain everything the best that I can. I've never discussed my family with anyone before. I know that I should've told you sooner, but it's just hard for me to think about, and I didn't want to ruin our time together."

"Eric," she said calmly as her small, soft hand gripped my large one, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," I answered immediately.

"Then you can tell me anything. I love you, and whatever you have to tell me won't make me stop loving you." I offered her a smile and gripped her hand, and then I began to tell her everything about that last day in Sweden.

I had to pause for a moment as the memories came flooding back to me. Memories that I had avoided at all cost for so long. I felt such guilt over leaving. I looked down at Sookie's hand in mine, and then looked into those honest, beautiful eyes of hers. That's when I realized that maybe it was time to share this with someone, and who better than the amazing woman who had shared everything about herself with me. The woman who loved me unconditionally, and had been so patient with me. So I did.

She stayed strong through the entire thing, until I described what I was feeling when I was hitting Marcus. She began to silently cry, and then when I told her about the last times I saw my mother and Pam, she was holding onto me, repeating over and over how sorry she was. I held her in my arms and told her she had no reason to be sorry.

"What am I doing? You shouldn't be the one comforting me, you're the one that had to live through it." She said as she pulled back. I grabbed her, and pulled her to me once again.

"I'm fine, Sookie. I'm just sorry that you had to hear about it." I ran my fingers through her hair until her breathing returned to normal.

"What do you need me to do?" She asked, as she sat back in front of me. I was very surprised that she pulled it together that fast.

"Could you stay here and watch Ansel until you have to leave? I shouldn't be there long, and as soon as I get Mom and Pam settled, I'll come to New York and see you."

"Of course I'll watch Ansel, but you shouldn't still come to see me. You need to stay here with them."

"No, I still want to go. I can't abandon you too." I told her, and found that I couldn't look her in the eyes. There was so much love and understanding there, and I felt like I didn't deserve it. She got up on her knees and I felt her hands on my face, pulling it up to look her in the eyes.

"You didn't abandon them." She began, and I tried to look away from her eyes. "Eric, look at me," she said with such force that I immediate gazed into her beautiful, honest eyes. "You did not abandon them, and I know that you are not abandoning me. You did what they asked, and you feel such guilt over leaving. I understand that, but nobody blames you, and they shouldn't." I actually wanted to cry at her words. I didn't, but I wanted to, because with her words, I felt an enormous weight lift from me, and I stopped feeling so guilty.

I closed my eyes and touched my forehead to hers. "Thank you," I said, and then she very lightly pressed her lips to mine and whispered, "I love you."

I pulled back from her to look at her again and asked, "When will I see you again?"

"Soon. I'll try to come back as soon as possible. It shouldn't be that hard since I've been sending my boss pictures during this whole vacation. Once they're settled let me know, and I'll come. I really want to meet them."

"I want you to meet them too. They'll love you."

She smiled brightly, and then got up off the bed. "How long do we have?"

"About four hours," I said as I looked at the clock. It had only been an hour since my phone call with Pam, but it would take an hour to get to the airport.

"Then it's a good thing you're already packed. Let's go make some breakfast, and then see how many more of those condoms we can use."

Have I mentioned how much I love this woman? She made me some scrambled eggs and bacon, and we ate breakfast together. When we finished we enjoyed a satisfying shower. We made sure I had everything I needed, and loaded up the car so that we could enjoy the last of our time together down to the last minute. I could tell as the time wore on that she was getting more anxious about me leaving.

"Sookie, are you sure you're okay with all this?" I asked when we got back to the bedroom.

"I'm fine, Eric. I promise. I'm just sad. I don't want to be separated from you, and I don't want you to go through any of this alone."

"Just knowing that makes me not alone, Sookie. Even if you're not there with me physically, knowing that you want to be makes up for it." I told her, and she nodded, but her eyes were glistening with tears. "Don't cry, Sookie. We'll see each other again soon. Let's just forget about it for now. We've still got two hours together to fill."

"Let's make it good then," she said, and then her lips were on mine. I was perfectly willing to make it good. Soon we were both naked and after a quick check to make sure she was ready, and she was, I was thrusting into her. It was fast and urgent, as though we couldn't get enough of each other, and afterwards, I had a fleeting thought of wondering what it would be like after we were reunited.

After our breathing returned to normal, I began to kiss her again. I was insatiable. Not knowing when I would see Sookie again was doing some whacked out stuff to my libido.

"Wait," she whispered, and then got out of bed.

"What are you doing?" I asked as she pulled on a sundress. "We want to be naked for the next hour and a half remember?"

She laughed, "Just trust me. Pull on your pants and shirt."

Sookie went out towards the kitchen for something, while I got dressed put another condom in my pocket, just in case. She came back and grabbed an old blanket from the closet, and then took my hand and led me outside. It was quite a warm day, and the sun was shining brightly. I wasn't completely sure where she was going with this, but I was hoping it was what I thought. We were both barefoot, and walked silently through the field, and down to the pond. Sookie stopped, and laid the blanket down in the exact spot our last dream had ended. I tried to kiss her, because I was pretty damn positive that I knew exactly what she brought me here for, but she stopped me by putting her hand to my lips.

"Wait," she whispered again, and then took my hand to lead me back behind the pond to our marked tree. It was tricky not stepping on anything that might hurt, but we managed. She had a pocketknife in her hand, and proceeded to carve half a heart into the tree just below the letter E. When she finished she stepped back and handed me the knife. I smirked at her and carved the other half. It was cheesy as fuck, but it felt right and I couldn't help the goofy grin that crossed my face as I completed it. I closed the knife and took a step back to grab Sookie's hand. She was grinning just as much as I was, and then she gave me a sweet kiss before leading me back out to the blanket.

This time she let me kiss her. We lay down gently on the blanket and kissed lazily for a while. It was as though nothing was wrong, and we weren't about to be separated, and I enjoyed every second of it.

"I love you, Eric," she whispered in my ear, "I need you."

That was all I needed to hear. I kissed her hard, and reached behind her to unzip her dress. As soon as it was loose enough, I pulled it down to reveal her beautiful breasts, and immediately latched onto one of her nipples. She moaned, and threaded her fingers into my hair. I worked my way down her body, taking the dress with me, until I was exactly where I wanted to be. I took one look up her body, and then dipped my head between her thighs. She was already very wet, and ready, but I took my time with her. I used my tongue and teeth on her until she was crying out my name and hovering over the edge, and then I would slow down and bring her back. By the fourth time, she was very frustrated, and threatened me with bodily harm if I didn't give her what she wanted. I wrapped my lips around her swollen clit and sucked hard, and at the same time I slid two fingers inside her and curled them at just the right spot. She came almost instantly. She cried out my name, along with a stream of profanities as her thighs clamped around my head, holding me in place.

When she finally came back down to earth, she grabbed my head and pulled me up to kiss her. "Get out that damn condom," she said forcefully.

"How do you even know I have one?" I asked teasingly.

"Because you are a horny bastard, that's why, now get it."

I laughed and dug it out of my pants pocket. She ripped it from my hand and put it between her teeth, as her hands got busy opening my pants.

"In a hurry?" I laughed.

"Shut up and take off your shirt," she mumbled around the wrapper.

I did as I was told, and then lifted my hips so that she could pull my pants off. As soon as they were gone, she pushed me back onto the blanket and straddled me. I watched as she ripped the wrapper open with her teeth, and rolled the condom onto my aching penis. She positioned my tip just at her entrance, and then slowly lowered herself until our hips met. We both let out a groan at the feeling, and I sat up so I could kiss her.

"Slow, please." I practically begged her. I wanted this to last, and I wanted to remember all of it. She nodded, looking right in my eyes as she slowly began to rock her hips. I kissed her neck, her collarbone, the swell of her breasts. My hands held her hips, and I would reach around every so often to knead her ass. I couldn't get enough of her. She began to rise up and down in my lap at a slow pace, and I was enjoying every second of it. I wanted her to remember it just as much, so I began to rub her clit with my thumb, but I kept her pace slow. She moaned my name and tried to speed up, but I wouldn't let her.

"Eric…" she warned.

"It's okay, come for me again, Sookie." I said huskily, and I rubbed just a little harder. She put her face in the crook of my neck and groaned. It didn't take much longer, and she cried out as she came again. I felt her clench around me, and it took everything I had not to come myself. Her hips were still rocking against mine when she met my eyes again.

"Eric, my legs…" she started, so I wrapped them around my waist and rolled her onto her back. I stayed like that for a minute, not moving at all, and I just enjoyed the feel of her around me. I kissed her slowly until she began to move against me again. I put a hand on her hip to stop her.

"Eric, please."

"I love you, Sookie. Always." I promised her. I watched her eyes begin to glisten with unshed tears, and I kissed her again. Then I began to move. I slowly thrust in and out of her, and soon we were both moving faster. We were grunting and moaning each other's names. I could tell that Sookie was fast approaching another climax and I was about to explode, so I tilted her pelvis just right, and hit exactly what I was aiming for. She screamed my name, and I thrust deeply into her a couple more times as I came with her.

I pulled out and collapsed next to her, breathing heavily. She immediately snuggled in next to me and I held her close. We stayed silent for a while, but when I felt myself drifting off to sleep, I forced my self to sit up. We silently got dressed again, and Sookie folded up the blanket. I took her hand again and we walked back up to the house. When we got inside, Sookie went off to put the blanket up, and I let Ansel out to do his business. I had ten more minutes before I had to go to the airport, and Sookie had insisted on going with me. She said that Sam would be more than happy to come pick me up when I got back, and while I normally would have argued, I knew that she just wanted to spend more time with me so I didn't push it.

I let Ansel back in the house, and refilled his water and food. I used the bathroom and cleaned myself up, and then I sat on the couch to put my shoes on. As I tied my laces I was overcome with a sense of loss. It had finally hit me that my mother was going to die. For the first time since I don't know when, I cried. I didn't cry like a baby or anything, there were just a few silent tears. Sookie sat next to me and rubbed my back slowly.

"I don't want to lose her," I said. "I've wasted so much time."

She didn't say anything; she just hugged me to her. I held her tightly, and didn't want to let go. "I don't want to lose you either."

"You won't, Eric." I heard her say. "Look at me." I did. "You won't ever lose me." I could see in her honest eyes that she was telling the truth. I nodded that I understood, and then we got up, went out to the car, and drove to the airport.

We talked a little on the way there about what would be happening the next few days, and Sookie said she would make sure the house was ready for us. I told her she didn't need to do anything but she insisted. When we got to the airport, I went through all the procedures, and then we waited for me to board the plane. It was very similar to the last time I was with Pam, when she took me to the airport. I had to keep telling myself that this was different. I wasn't leaving Sookie for seven years; I was leaving for a couple of days, and then coming back.

Sookie held my hand the entire wait and when it was time to board, she gave it a squeeze. We stood up and she hugged me tightly.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you, too."

"Call me as soon as you land for your changeover, okay?"

"I will, I promise."

I cupped her face and kissed her on her sweet lips one last time, and then I pressed my lips to her forehead.

"I'll see you soon," I whispered, and as soon as I felt her nod, I ripped myself from her, and boarded the plane.

* * *

***sniff* I have tissues if anyone needs one. Sorry about all the cheese, but damn it if these two arent' cheesy :) **

**Big thank you to my beta FDM! *huggles* She did this so freaking fast I got whiplash LOL. **

**I should let you all know that I'm not gonna be around this weekend because I have a family reunion in another state to attend. I'll try to write my ass off tomorrow, but Friday I get to babysit a couple of rowdy kids all day long, so that's pretty much gonna keep me busy. **

**Let me know what you think! I love to hear it! *smooches***


	21. Chapter 21

**First thing: I am so, so, so sorry for the wait on this chapter. I've been working on it for a while, and my plan was to update either this or Studybuddies on the 30th of July, cause that was my birthday, but I got a nasty cold just before that, and I'm still not completely over it. I wasn't able to write while I was sick because my head hurt so bad, but I've been working on it steadily, and now it's finally freaking done. **

**Also, I'm so sorry for the length. I know some like long chapters, but sometimes they're a bit daunting. I kept trying to find a point to cut it off, but a lot needed to happen here. I hope this makes up for me separating them *hugs* **

**I want to thank everyone who is sticking with me on this story. I promise you, I won't give up on it, which seems to be a concern with some. I'm just a huge procrastinator(thanks to cracked) and I kept going back and forth between this chapter and SB. It's hard splitting your love and affection sometimes. So, while updates might me slower, they'll still be coming, I promise. **

**Also, FanFic is being a douche with alerts and reviews and shit right now. I'll understand if ya'll can't leave a review for this one, but I would love it if you come back to tell me what you thought when they are working again! *hugs***

**On with the show...**

* * *

Chapter 21

I never though I would end up sitting in an airport, crying my eyes out because the man I loved had to go pick up his sister and dying mother, but that's exactly what was happening. It sounded like the plot to some cheesy Lifetime movie, or a shitty romantic drama.

As soon as Eric was out of sight, I collapsed into a nearby chair in shock. I hadn't expected him parting from me to hurt so much. My lips and the spot on my forehead where he kissed me still burned, and the memory kept replaying in my head. The tears began to fall slowly, and soon I was full out bawling. Talk about embarrassing. Some kind old lady stopped and handed me a package of tissues, and I tearily thanked her before finding a bathroom so I could splash some water on my face.

"Get it together, Sookie," I told myself as I looked at my reflection.

When I finally calmed down enough to stop crying I left the bathroom, and went out to the car. As soon as I got into the driver's seat I wanted to cry again. It was too far back, which reminded me of Eric. The whole car reminded me of him. I wanted him to be in it with me. I glanced into the backseat for some reason, and saw an opened condom wrapper from our little tryst a couple weeks ago. That little reminder made me want to laugh, and served as a memory poke to make an appointment to get checked out. Eric and I had decided to both get checked, and once we got clean bills of health, we would stop using condoms. I'd been on birth control for years, but I hadn't been checked since Quinn, and even though Eric always used protection with the girls he'd been with, he still hadn't been checked since he stopped that part of his lifestyle.

After readjusting the seat, I started up the car, and closed my eyes when it purred. Eric had only let me drive it once, and I had loved it. I almost felt bad about the car being a polluter, and having bad gas mileage, but it sounded too good. I think Eric felt bad about it too, and that's why he did other things to balance it out. He recycled, used eco-green bags at the store, and unplugged things when he wasn't using them, used recycled paper and paper towels. I smiled at my thoughts, and then all of a sudden like a switch flipped, I was thinking about the last few hours with him. I felt so guilty that I wasn't there with him. I knew it was going to be hard for him to go back to his home country for the first time in seven years, and then he had to see his dying mother, and possibly deal with that asshole Marcus. I wanted to be there with him. I wanted to hold his hand and let him know that I was there for him no matter what. I really hoped it wouldn't be too long before I got to see him again.

To get my mind off everything I turned on some music, and tried to turn off my brain. Worrying wasn't going to help me do anything but stress out. By the time I got back to the house, I had managed to put my mind on other things, particularly going over the list in my head of things I needed to do before I left. I walked in the house with a sense of purpose, but as soon as I saw Ansel lying on the couch I was overcome with sadness. Even he seemed to notice that Eric was gone. The house felt so empty without him. I sat on the couch next to Ansel, and he immediately changed position to put his head in my lap and whined.

"I know. I miss him too," I said as I scratched behind his ears. "Come on, you need to go out."

He reluctantly jumped off the couch, and went outside with me, but happily did his business anyway. When we came back in, I took my cell phone out of my purse and put it in my pocket. I didn't want to miss it when Eric called. I made a list of all the things that were in my head, and got to work. I started looking through my pictures, found the ones I wanted, and put them on a flash drive. Then I started cleaning. The house was orderly, but I don't think he'd dusted or vacuumed since before I'd showed up. I started dusting everything, and cleaned all the glass on the pictures. When I was done with that, I cleaned the windows. Then I pulled out the vacuum. I expected Ansel to bark at it, but he just stood on the couch staring at it. His head tracked its movements, and he looked like he was going to pounce on it if it made a wrong move. As soon as I was done vacuuming, and had it put back in the closet, my phone rang. It was Eric. I couldn't answer it fast enough. I didn't even get to say anything before he was talking.

"I miss you," he said. I missed that voice. I already felt the tears in my eyes, and was willing them to go away. I needed to be strong for him. He didn't need to worry about me too.

"I miss you too."

"I have an hour before my flight leaves, want to keep me company?" I could see his smile in my head and it instantly eased my nerves.

"Of course." I sat down on the couch next to Ansel, and his head was immediately in my lap again.

"I got stuck next to a really smelly guy on the plane. His name was Boris, and he was actually really funny."

"Oh no, you're not going to leave me for him are you?" I teased.

"I don't know. He _was_ really attractive." We both laughed. "What have you been doing?"

"Cleaning."

"Sookie, you don't need to do that."

"Yes, I do. You haven't dusted or vacuumed in a long time, and it's helping me stay busy."

"I understand, but my mom and sister are going to ask if I've hired a maid," he laughed.

"Just tell them that you're impeccable these days."

"They'll never believe that in a million years," he laughed. "How did my car treat you?"

"Oh it was wonderful, and I only have one complaint."

"What might that be?"

"That you weren't here to relieve me of my excitement when I got home."

"I guess I'll have to make up for it when I get back," he said in his best husky voice.

"Yes, you will," I replied with mine.

"Okay, we need to stop this before all these people around me know exactly how happy I am."

I laughed, "Ansel misses you. It's like he can tell you're gone."

"It would figure that the only time he shows affection for me is when I'm gone."

We began talking about inane things to get our minds off of being separated, and all too soon it was time for him to go.

"Call me when you land, okay?"

"Sookie, you'll be sleeping."

"I don't care. Call me anyway."

"Okay, I will. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I'll talk to you soon."

"Okay."

We said our goodbyes; I hung up the phone, and immediately hugged Ansel. I was surprised that I wasn't crying. I looked at the clock and saw that it was already six, so I went to the kitchen and had some leftovers for supper. I was to leave the day after next, so I planned on getting up early to get some stuff done. I was feeling very drained already, so for the rest of the night I curled up on the couch to watch Spaced. It made me feel a little better. I fell asleep on the couch for about an hour, and when I woke up I decided to take a shower and go to bed.

The shower was extremely lonely. I hadn't had a shower without Eric since just after I first got here. I went back to the bedroom and had to stop myself from crying. The bed was still unmade from our morning romp, and it made me miss him even more. I felt guilty for felling like this. He hadn't even been gone a whole day and I was acting like we hadn't seen each other in weeks. I was suddenly regretting that I had packed all Eric's shirts. I was now wishing I had one to wear to bed. I opened my luggage to pull out my own nightshirt, and when I did I got a surprise. Apparently when I wasn't looking, Eric had stuffed half his shirts into my suitcase. I laughed out loud, and immediately pulled one on. I instantly felt better when I smelled him on it. I sadly pulled on a pair of underwear, upset that I didn't have a reason not to wear them, and then Eric's robe. I took Ansel out one last time, filled his water and food, and then finally went to bed.

I tried to sleep, I tried really hard, but when you've been falling asleep every night next to Eric after a round of hot sex for three weeks, it's hard to sleep alone. I eventually gave up, and went to get Ansel. I got him to jump up on the bed, and with the weight of something else there, I was finally able to go to sleep.

I was woken up a few hours later by the phone ringing. It took me a few seconds to realize what was going on, but when I did, I immediately answered it.

"Eric?"

"Hi. Plane just landed."

"Did you meet another Boris?"

He laughed, "No, but I did meet a lovely guy named Tom. For some reason, he was positive I wanted to join the mile-high club with him, and wouldn't stop hitting on me the whole flight. I had to pretend to sleep every time I saw him coming down the aisle."

"Oh wow. I'm so, so sorry." I couldn't suppress my giggles.

"Do you still miss me?"

"More than you know."

"Me too."

"So what happens now? What do you do next?"

"I'll have to check with Pam, but when I called her last she said they were keeping Mom in the hospital, so I was going to go straight there to pick them up. Pam was supposed to go to the house to pack up their stuff while Marcus was at work. I just hope I don't have to see him."

"I hope so too."

"As soon as I can get Mom discharged, we're leaving."

"Eric, you need to get some rest."

"I'll sleep on the plane."

"Please promise me that you'll rest when you can. If you do end up seeing him, I want you to have a clear head."

"I promise."

"Be careful, Eric."

"I will."

"When will you call me again?"

"As soon as I know something, I will."

"Okay."

"I love you, Sookie."

"I love you too."

I had more trouble going back to sleep because I was worried about him. I didn't want to think about what would happen if he came across Marcus. I really hoped he wouldn't do anything that could get him arrested. I would have to fly over there and kick his ass. The sun was already starting to come out when I finally fell asleep again, and I only slept a couple more hours.

I did my usual morning routine, minus the making love and snuggling part. I went ahead and opened up the two guest bedrooms, making the beds and ensuring everything was clean. I went through the contents of the kitchen, and decided to get some groceries while I was out. Eric would be annoyed that I bought them, but I didn't care.

I made sure to remember my flash drive and cell phone, and then I left. I almost took Eric's car, but I felt a little bad for the rental that had been sitting for three weeks, so I took it instead. I swung by Merlotte's first to fill Sam in on everything, and asked him if he could pick up Eric at the airport when they got back. He assured me he would. With that taken care of, I went to the local funeral home to find out about getting a headstone for Pat. I found a really nice one, and got her name, date of birth and death put on it, and then for the inscription, I had them put "beloved sister and friend". I had a brief guilty feeling for her mom, but the woman up and took off with all the money people had raised for her for this specific reason, so I squashed the feeling of guilt, paid the man, and then headed to my next destination.

I went to a photo printing and framing shop that had been around there for as long as I could remember. I gave them the flash drive, told them what pictures I wanted and what sizes, picked out the frames, paid for them, and then I went to get groceries. It would be about an hour before the pictures were ready, so I took my time in the store. I was in the laundry aisle looking at Keith, and smiling to myself when Eric called again.

"Hey, how is everything?"

"Fine so far. Pam has all their stuff packed up, but the hospital won't discharge her until tomorrow night. Something about test results. I'll be getting that rest I promised you."

"Glad to hear it. Anything out of Marcus?"

"Not yet, but he'll know something's up when he comes home and finds a lot of their stuff missing."

"Eric, please be careful."

"Sookie, I won't do anything that keeps me from getting back to you. I promise. Pam and I have a plan anyway."

"Is it illegal?"

"No."

"Okay."

"You're not going to press me for information?"

"No, I trust your judgment when it comes to this guy. You already said you wouldn't do anything that keeps you from me, so I'll wait and see. Knowing will probably worry me anyway."

At that point two kids ran past me, one screaming, and one giggling.

"Where are you?"

"Store," I said quickly.

"What are you doing at the store?"

"Grocery shopping," I replied even more quickly.

"Sookie."

"Don't give me that tone. Did you really want to get them back here, and then have to turn around and go to the store to get groceries to feed them? We were almost out of everything."

There was a short pause before he spoke, "You said "we"."

"Yes, I did," I replied cautiously.

"I like the way that sounds. You should say it more often."

I was grinning like a fool. Most guys run the other direction when "we" sinks in, but Eric genuinely liked it.

"I'll have to do that."

"Good. I have to go now. Pam and I are taking turns sleeping in case Marcus shows up, and it's my turn to go to the hotel."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too. I'll talk to you again soon."

"Okay."

I took a deep breath before going back to shopping. I finished getting everything I thought they'd need, paid for it, and then headed back to the photo store. My pictures were done, and they looked amazing. I couldn't wait to get them hung up. I got everything home, and let Ansel out while to took it all in and put it up. It was a much easier task with Eric there to help me. I put the pictures where I wanted them, and I really hoped Eric would like them as much as I thought he would. I just wished I could be here to see his reaction.

I spent the rest of that night double-checking that all my things were ready for the morning. I made sure everything was clean and stocked, and then I watched a movie before bed. Just as I was crawling under the covers, my phone rang.

"You called just in time to tuck me in."

"Oh, you're going to bed, are you?"

I could hear him smiling again. I wondered if it was the sound of my voice that did that for him. I know it only took the sound of his voice to make me smile.

"Yes, I have a flight in the morning, and I'm tired, and a little wound up."

"Wound up?"

"Yes. I've gotten so used to your attentions every night. Addicted even. I feel like I'm quitting cold turkey."

"We'll have to remedy that," he said in a husky voice.

I was instantly nervous. I was pretty sure I knew what he was suggesting, but I wasn't sure if I could go through with it. "What do you mean?"

"What are you wearing, Sookie?" He asked, his voice still husky.

"Eric I…"

"Are you alone?" He was back to his regular voice.

"Of course I am. What does …"

"Then relax. I can't have you being all wound up. I'll gladly relieve your tension better when I am with you, but for now this is all we have. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit wound up too."

"Eric, I don't even know how to do this. I've never done it before."

"Neither have I."

"Really?"

"Really. I'm sure we can figure it out, but if you're uncomfortable with it, then we don't have to."

"No, I want to." I surprised myself with how quickly I answered.

"Take a deep breath and rel…"

"Wait!" I cut him off, and instantly heard him sigh. "You're not in the hospital are you?"

"No, I'm in the hotel still. I'm naked and sitting up against the headboard of the very big bed I'd like to ravish you on. What about you?" His husky voice had returned.

"I'm sitting on our bed," I say rather shyly.

"What are you wearing?"

"Your Hives T-shirt, and a pair of black cotton panties."

"Well, that won't do. I want you to take off the panties slowly."

I did, and I couldn't help but notice how wet I was already. "They're off."

"Leave the shirt on. I like that image. I still need to have my way with you while you're wearing one. Unfortunately it always seems to get thrown across the room."

"You do tend to get frustrated when you can't access my chest easily."

He laughed, and I could hear the underlying rumble through the phone. Either that, or I remembered it so well that I imagined it.

"What do you want me to do now?" I asked in my best sensual voice. It was actually kind of fun. He immediately stopped laughing.

"I want you to close your eyes and run your hand up the inside of your leg slowly…" he began. He went on with things like that for me to do for quite a while, never letting me put my hand where I wanted it the most. As soon as he did, I finally found the nerve to give him direction too, and I allowed him to stroke himself. We both groaned when we finally felt some relief from our touch. I was enjoying mine so much that I didn't even notice when my phone battery died. Eric hadn't given me any new instruction in a couple minutes, and I no longer heard his own noises of pleasure. Sure enough, my phone was dead.

"Fuck!" I quickly began scrambling around looking for the charger, and plugged it in next to the bed. As soon as the phone turned back on, I called Eric. He answered immediately, and sounded out of breath.

"What happened?"

"My battery died. I'm so sorry. You didn't…finish, did you?"

"I was about to before I realized you weren't there anymore."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he laughed. "It's actually kind of funny."

"This is not funny at all! Now I'm even more frustrated than before we started all this."

"I know. I am too, and I want to continue, but Pam almost walked in on me. I managed to run into the bathroom before she saw what was happening, but she's in the room now."

"What?! Oh my god. We're never doing this again."

"Come on, Sookie. With a full battery and a guarantee of no interruptions it would have been great."

"But that didn't happen. Besides, you'll be back in a couple days, and then I should be back a couple days after that. Soon enough we can relieve each other's tension properly."

"I'm looking forward to it," he said in his sex voice again.

"You should be," I replied in mine.

"Shit, Sookie. That was hot."

I giggled. "I love you."

"I love you. Call me when your flight lands okay? If I don't answer, I'll call back as soon as possible."

"I will."

"Goodnight."

"Night."

After hanging up, I had to decide whether or not to finish what Eric started. I wasn't really in the mood anymore, and I did have to be up early to go to the airport, so I rolled over, and replayed the recent sound of Eric laughing in my head, which lulled me off to sleep in no time.

I woke up the next morning feeling rather solemn. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to be here when Eric got back. After about a minute of my self-pitying, I mentally slapped myself, and got up to take a shower. I made sure to take the used towels down to the laundry room and hung them on the shower rod down there so they could dry. I didn't have time to wash them. I loaded up the rental car while Ansel did his business, and then I got his food and bowls to take to Sam's. He was a pretty clean dog, so I wasn't worried about him getting the car dirty, and Sam only lived about five minutes away. I had some toast with peanut butter on it for breakfast to appease my stomach, though I didn't feel that hungry. I did one last check of everything in the house to make sure it was ready for them. When I got to our bedroom, I realized I had forgotten to make the bed. I started to do it, but stopped. Something was telling me not to. I took a step back to look at it, and realized that Eric would probably like coming in here and seeing the bed unmade. I know I would love to go back to my place and see the bed disheveled, knowing that the last person to sleep in it was Eric. I smiled to myself, grabbed my now fully charged phone, put it in my purse, and then I left.

Ansel took to Sam right away, but still seemed sad when I went to leave. I really had grown to love that dog. While I was waiting to board the plane, I sent Eric a text letting him know I was about to get on the flight, and telling him I missed him. I didn't get one back right away, so I assumed he was sleeping, or at the hospital. When I got on the plane, I was relieved that I didn't have a Boris sitting next to me. The seat was actually empty.

I fell asleep halfway into the flight, and found myself in the field. I got excited, hoping Eric would be there. I called out for him, but he didn't answer. I walked all over the field looking for him, but I couldn't find him anywhere. The whole thing gave me a strange sense of déjà vu, and I didn't like it. I walked back behind the pond to look at our tree, and breathed a sigh of relief. Out letters were still carved in the tree, as was the heart we had just added. I calmed down when I saw that. I knew it meant everything was going to be okay.

I was woken up by a flight attendant who let me know that the plane was about to land. I thanked her, and then tried to make sense of my dream. Suddenly it hit me why it felt familiar. I had the same dream just before I went home. I had dreamed of being in the field, but not being able to find Eric. It had scared the crap out of me. As soon as the plane landed, and I got my bags, I called Eric. He didn't answer so I left him a message.

"I'm back in New York. I need to talk to you. I had a dream on the plane, and it freaked me out a bit. I'm fine; I just need to hear your voice. I love you."

I took a cab back to my apartment, and when I walked in I felt so alone. I didn't even bother unpacking; I went straight to Amelia's. When she opened the door she screamed and pulled me into a hug.

"I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too," I said as I hugged her back.

"Bullshit, you've been pretty occupied by that man of yours. Where is he anyway? I thought he was coming back with you."

"He had a family emergency and couldn't make it."

"Is everything okay?"

"Not really. Would you like to come over for some tea? I'll explain everything."

"Yeah, sure. Just let me grab my keys."

She went back in for a second, and emerged with her keys. She locked her apartment, and then threw her arm around me as we walked back to mine.

"So what's going on?" She asked as we went in.

I explained the basics, that Eric had to go back to Sweden to get his sister and dying mother, and bring them back to live with him, and that I was going back as soon as possible.

"Can you get away with that with your job?"

"I hope so. I can work from anywhere, and I sent my boss a lot of pictures while I was on vacation, so if she liked them there shouldn't be a problem."

"Are you moving in with him?"

"No. I don't think so. He doesn't know that I know, but he was looking at apartments here. It's something we need to talk about."

"Sookie, you've only known this guy for a few weeks, and you're already considering moving in with him. I can see that you're happy with him, but don't you think you're moving a bit fast?"

"It's hard to explain. I think you would understand because I know that you're open-minded, but I can't really tell you until I talk to him."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because we agreed that we would decide together who we told our story to. I think you would be one of them, but I wouldn't feel right telling you without talking to him first."

"I guess I understand," she said with a dramatic sigh. Amelia could be a drama queen. At that moment my phone rang, and I saw that it was Eric.

"It's Eric. Don't leave, it'll be quick anyway, and I'll ask him about telling you," I said quickly to Amelia. She nodded, and then went to sit in the living room.

I answered the call, "Hi."

"You wanted to hear my voice?" I closed my eyes at the sound of it. I really needed to hear it. "Sookie?"

"Just keep talking. Tell me about what's going on."

"They're releasing Mom tonight. She's going to stay at the hotel with us tonight, and then we're leaving first thing in the morning. As for Marcus, he hasn't shown up here, which is good for our plan. If all goes well, I'll have evidence to show you when I see you again."

"Good," I replied. I really didn't want Eric to have to see Marcus again.

"Now tell me about this dream you had," he sounded concerned, and I didn't want that. He had enough to stress about.

"It was nothing."

"Sookie, if you don't tell me, I'll just end up worried about you."

"I dreamed that I was back in the field, but I couldn't find you. I kept calling for you, and looking for you, but I couldn't find you anywhere. It just freaked me out a bit."

"I had the same dream."

"You did? When?"

"Every time I fall asleep I end up in the field, looking for you, but I can't find you."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to upset you."

"What do you think it means?"

"That we need to be near each other again soon. The sooner the better."

"I should know tomorrow when I can go back. I have a question for you though."

"What is it?"

"I want to tell Amelia about the dreams. She's not going to buy any cover story, and she's really open-minded."

"Go ahead and tell her. I trust your judgment."

"Thank you."

"I have a question for you."

"What's that?"

"Would you be okay with me telling my Mom and Pam now? They're dying to know about you, but I've managed to hold them off so far. I didn't want to say anything until I spoke to you."

"Of course that's okay."

"Are you sure?"

"I do wish we could be together when we tell people, but it's just not going to work out that way. I'm fine with it. You do think they'll believe you, right?"

"Yes, I think they will."

"Good. I don't want them to think I made you nuts or anything."

He laughed, "I doubt that. They'll love you, I'm sure of it."

"I can't wait to meet them."

"They can't wait to meet you. Pam's curious, and Mom is thrilled. She'd always hoped I would find someone that made me happy, and I'm very, very happy."

He always knew what to say to ease my nerves. "I'm happy too. Where are you now?"

"Pam and I are both at the hospital. We're going to stay until Mom gets discharged, and then go back to the hotel for the night before leaving tomorrow."

"When will I get to talk to you again?"

"I'll call you before the flight tomorrow. You'll be asleep so don't answer, okay? I'll leave you a voicemail."

"Okay."

"I need to get back in now. I love you, Sookie. Don't worry about anything."

"I love you too."

After hanging up, I went into the living room and sat next to Amelia. She put down the magazine she was flipping through, and turned to me.

"How is everything?" She asked.

"It's fine. He's coming back tomorrow, but I don't know when I'll get to see him again. He's fine with me telling you about us though. Would you like to know now?"

"I would love to know, but you just tell me whenever you want."

"It'll tell you now. I feel like I need to tell someone anyway. The only other person that knows is Sam, my old friend from back home. He didn't buy our cover story," I laughed.

"Why would you need a cover story?"

"The truth would be a little hard to swallow for some. Do you remember a few months ago, I was having dreams about the guy you called "romance cover dude"?"

"Yes. You were falling for a guy in your dreams, and I was worried about you. Why?"

"The man I dreamed about is Eric."

"What?"

"When I went home I went back to the house I grew up in, the one with the field, to take pictures. My parents told me they were renting it out to someone, so I went to the house first so I could let them know I would be out there. Then he answered the door. Amelia, I swear my heart stopped. It was him, the man from my dreams. I thought I was crazy, but he knew who I was too. I fainted, and when I woke up, I was in my old room, which he's using now. We talked, and I found out that he was having the same dreams."

"You both had the same dreams?"

"Yes, it was like we were actually there, and they're like memories to us now, but we were dreaming. Does that make sense?"

"Strangely enough, it does."

"It gets weirder."

"Go on," she said with a smile. I knew she would understand. I went on to tell her about the carvings in the tree, and she seemed perplexed by it, but she didn't doubt that I was telling her the truth. I told her all about my three weeks with him. I told her about my fight with Sam, and how it seemed like Eric and I had been through years worth of relationship drama already. We had already had to deal with his past behavior, two of my past suitors, possibly changing our lives around to be together, and his life-altering news about his mother. It was crazy. After I finished telling her everything, she wasn't fazed a bit.

"Sookie, weird, unexplainable shit happens all the time. Whatever this is, it was obviously meant to happen, and you are finally really happy because of it. From the sound of things, he is too. I know you guys aren't questioning it, and you shouldn't. You should take this as a gift, and run with it."

I hugged her tight, and thanked her for being my friend. After that, we caught up on everything else, and she informed me that Quinn was quite serious about this new girl of his. I was nothing but relieved and happy for him. He really was a good guy, and he deserved to be happy. Soon enough Amelia had to go, so I went down to see Jason. He had just gotten home from work, but was happy to see me. He only knew about Eric through our mother, and I knew he wouldn't understand anything about the dreams, so I just told him that I might be going back again soon. He just wanted to know if I was going to grocery shop before again before I left.

After my visit with Jason, I went back up to my apartment. It was almost the time I normally went to bed here, and I was pretty tired so I showered, pulled out one of Eric's shirts to wear to bed, and then settled in for the night. Again, I had the dream of being in the field looking for him. I didn't like it one bit. It almost felt like a nightmare. When I woke up the next morning, I immediately reached for my phone. I had a missed call and a voicemail from Eric. I couldn't believe I had slept through the call. I know he had told me not to answer, but I had planned on doing so anyway. The voicemail said that everything had gone according to plan, and he gave me a website to go to so that I could see the damage. I could tell even over the phone that he had a sly grin when he was saying it. He told me they were about to get on the plane, and that by the time I got this, he would probably almost be in New York. He said it would be weird to be in the same city as me, but not be able to see me, but that we would see each other again soon. He said he loved me, and then he hung up. I was almost tempted to go to the airport just to see him before they got on their next flight, but I didn't want his mother and sister to meet me like that, and I was sure his mother would be exhausted from the traveling.

When my brain caught back up with me, I grabbed my laptop from my pile of luggage, and turned it on. I had wireless Internet here, thank goodness. I had to listen to the voicemail again for the address, and as soon as the page popped up, I gasped. It was a Swedish newspaper's website, and on the home page, was a big picture of Eric, and two people I assumed to be his mother and sister. Eric was on one side of his mother, and Pam was on the other. Pam looked a lot like him. They were coming out of what looked like a hospital. He looked really tired. I clicked on the article, but of course, it was all in Swedish. I copied the whole article, and translated it in an online translator. I knew it wouldn't be an exact translation, but I would be able to get the gist of what happened.

It took the translation a few minutes to pop up so I went to the bathroom quickly, and when I came back, it was all there. It was a little hard to understand, but from what I gathered, either Eric or Pam had been an "anonymous tipster" to the paper that Emma's children weren't Marcus's. The tipster also informed them that while Marcus had known the truth since the children were born, he subjected Emma to physical abuse often, and that after she had recently found out her cancer had returned, he beat her badly enough to send her to the hospital. It said that Eric left Sweden years ago because of Marcus, and that he was taking his mother and sister to America to live with him because of this recent bit of violence.

I had to admit, it was brilliant. They were able to use Marcus's threat against him. From the tone of the article, he was being painted as the villain, and I couldn't have been happier about that. I called Eric's phone, and it went straight to voicemail because he was probably still on the plane.

"Hey, I just woke up and read the article. It was brilliant. I'm so proud of you. I'm going to work in a bit, and I'll call you when I know more about when I can leave. I love you."

After hanging up I got out of bed, and took a shower. Again, they were way too lonely without Eric there to fill in the empty space, and…other things. I got dressed, grabbed my camera and laptop, and then headed to work. I didn't eat any breakfast because I was too nervous about what my boss would say. I was a bit worried that she wouldn't want me to work from another state. I was hoping that all the pictures I had sent in while I was on vacation would help my case.

When I got to work, I went straight to my boss Arlene's office. I didn't have an office because I worked from home a lot. I did all my editing there, and the only time I really came to work was when Arlene needed to see me for something.

"Sookie, so good to see you back. Have a seat," she said in her disinterested tone.

"Nice to see you too Arlene," I said as I sat down.

"Let's get right to it. The pictures you sent in while you were on vacation were some of the best I've ever seen from you. We've got them all on file, ready to publish. I mean all of them. You could probably take another vacation and not work this time, if you wanted too."

"I need to talk to you about that. Would I be able to continue working from another state?"

"Are you moving?"

"Not exactly."

"I think I need a bit more detail."

"While I was away, I met someone. I know you don't like sentiment, but we fell in love. He was supposed to come back here with me, but a family emergency hindered that. I need to go back there for a while. I'm not sure for how long."

"So you're not moving, but you'll continue to work from there," she said with no emotion. She was really good at that.

"No, I'm not moving. I'll continue to work from wherever I am. In fact, he's a writer and can work from anywhere. He was looking into moving here before his family emergency occurred. I just don't know how long I'll be there. He and I need to discuss it a bit more."

"Well, I don't have a problem with you going back, so long as you keep sending in pictures," she said, and I breathed a sigh of relief, but she wasn't finished, "But, it's going to have to wait a couple of weeks." My heart sank.

"May I ask why?"

"Your latest pictures were so good, that I entered you in a photo contest. You are up for a New York Photo Award."

"What?" My jaw dropped.

"You are up for an award, and the ceremony is in two weeks. I want you to stay here until then."

"Why can't I just plan to come back for it?"

"Because you are the only photographer from this magazine to get nominated, and I don't want another emergency to keep you from going. If you win, it would mean great things for us. I don't even care if you leave that night, but you will stay in New York until then, understood?"

I wanted to scream, cry, laugh, or throw something. I was so happy to know that I'd been nominated for something I'd been working for, but because of it, I had to be away from Eric for two weeks. I knew that nothing would help my case, and that the best bet would be to just agree with her, and hope Eric would understand.

"Yes. Thank you for allowing me to work from another state. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome," she said and stood up. I stood up too, and turned to leave. "Make sure you stop by the editing room and give your input on what we've chosen for the next issue."

"I will," I said, and then walked out. I did as she asked, and gave some suggestions, and then I left.

I went to the market before going home, and picked up enough stuff to keep me nourished for a couple weeks. When I got home, I put everything away, and then called Eric. It went to voicemail again, so I assumed he was on the plane to Missouri. I just told him that I needed him to call me as soon as he could. After I hung up, I put myself to work. I began editing the pictures I took back home, but as I looked at each one, all it did was depress me. I wanted nothing more than to be back there with Eric and Ansel. I felt the tears begin to build, so I quickly closed the computer. I was at a loss for what to do. Before Eric I would have put in a movie, or called Amelia to see if she wanted to go out. I just didn't feel like doing either of those things. All I wanted was for Eric to be here. I felt so alone. Right at that moment, my phone rang. I jumped, dazed from being broken out of my pity-party, and then grabbed it. A warm feeling spread all over me when I saw that it was Eric.

"Hi," I answered.

"What happened? You sounded upset in the voicemail." He sounded completely concerned.

"I talked to my boss today, and found out that I'm up for a photography award."

"Sookie, that's great!"

"I know. I've wanted this for so long."

"So what has you upset?"

"My boss wants me to stay here until the ceremony. It's two weeks away," my voice broke, and the tears began to flow freely down my cheeks. "I can't leave until then."

"It's okay, Sookie," he said, sounding calm, but I could hear the edge in his voice.

"It's not. It's two weeks."

"Exactly. Two weeks isn't much."

"It is when it's you and me," I said, and then cried a little harder. I felt like a freaking baby, and all I wanted was for him to be next to me, wiping my tears away.

"It'll be okay. Please stop crying. I can't comfort you like I want to from here. It's only two weeks. It'll go by in no time, and before you know it we'll be together again."

I had slowly stopped crying as he spoke. He was right. It was only two weeks. "You're right. I'm sorry for freaking out like that."

"You don't need to apologize."

"Are you back at the house yet?" I asked.

"No, we're still at the airport. Sam called to say he's running a bit late. He should be here anytime now."

"How's your mom doing?"

"Considerably better. The traveling has worn her out, but being away from Marcus, and knowing she'll never have to see him again…she's just happier."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that. Oh, I opened the guest rooms, and they're ready so make sure she gets some rest as soon as you get back."

"You didn't have to do that. I appreciate it, and I'm sure Mom will too, but you didn't have to."

"I know, but I wanted too, and it needed to be done."

"I love you, you know that?"

"Yes, I do."

"There's Sam. Call me tonight before you go to sleep, okay?"

"I will. Will you tell Sam hello for me?"

"Yes, I will."

"I love you, Eric."

"I love you, too."

"Bye."

"Bye."

I felt better after that conversation, but still moped around for the rest of the day. I was beginning to get a bit excited about being up for an award though. I puttered about the apartment for a bit, and then went through my mail. I paid a few bills, and then watched some TV as I had a light supper. After that, I took a long bath. I was trying to prolong going to bed. I wanted to fall asleep at the same time as Eric. It was a bit strange to want that, but I just felt like I needed to.

As soon as I was dried off, dressed in another of Eric's shirts, and sitting in bed, I called him.

"I've been wondering when the hell you were going to go to bed," he answered. "I'm exhausted."

"Sorry, I wanted to wait so that we could be asleep at the same time."

"It's okay. I've just been lying in bed, staring at this picture on our nightstand."

I smiled. One of the pictures I had framed was of the two of us in the field. In it, Eric was kissing my cheek, and I was smiling, my face angled towards him a bit. It was my favorite picture of the two of us.

"Do you like it?"

"Very much. I also like the other pictures you've added to the house. They're all perfect. Mom and Pam love them, and they were impressed when I told them you took them."

"I was hoping it was okay that I did that. I got the idea at the last minute."

"Of course it's okay. I love them all. Ansel stared at the picture of him for a while though."

I laughed, "Is he happy you're back?"

"Very. I swear he's like a different dog." Eric let out a huge yawn, which caused me to as well.

"I think it's time we went to sleep," I said.

"I'd say so. I'll call you again tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, I'll be home all day, so anytime is good."

"Okay. Goodnight, Sookie."

"Goodnight, Eric."

After we hung up, I turned off my lamp, and snuggled in. I kept replaying the sound of Eric's voice in my head, and it lulled me off to sleep. In my dreams, I was in the field again. I was standing by the pond, looking out over the small expanse of water. I didn't bother trying to look for Eric. I didn't want to be disappointed if he wasn't there again. After a short while, I turned around to take a walk around, hoping to get some peace from the familiar place. When I did, however, I gasped. Eric was standing atop the slope that led down to the pond. It was the same place he was after I figured out that I loved him. I could see him smiling. We slowly walked towards each other, and stopped before we were touching. We stared at each other for a long time before Eric finally spoke.

"I think if we fall asleep at the same time, these two weeks aren't going to be hard to bear at all."

I laughed, and then threw my arms around his neck as my mouth collided with his. As he kissed me back I knew what he said was the truth. These two weeks weren't looking bad at all.

* * *

**So how was that? Am I easing the pain at all? I promise I'm not going to drag these two weeks out. In fact, I'm thinking a reunion may be in store next chapter *grins***

**Again, thank you guys so much for sticking with me. I love you all! **


	22. Chapter 22

**Well, this is certainly quicker than the last update, right? Lulz... Not much to say except: Here's your reunion...**

**:)**

* * *

Chapter 22

I can't even describe the relief I felt when I saw Sookie standing by the pond. I had been wandering around by the barn and spring for a while, and decided to go look at our tree. I'm glad I did, because seeing her was just what I needed. After we hugged and kissed for a while, we finally sat down to talk so we could figure out just how these dreams were working. I sat down and parted my legs so that Sookie could sit between them.

"Do you have any theories?" She asked me, as she pressed her back to my chest.

"I think that if one of us is away from the field, and we're asleep at the same time, then we'll meet here. I don't know about both of us being away at the same time, but I certainly hope that never happens. When we first had the dreams, what time did you go to sleep?"

"Umm…around eleven or twelve, I think."

"I went to bed at around ten or eleven. So we were sleeping at the same time. Because I was gone, every time I slept, I dreamed I was here searching for you, and you didn't dream that until you left. And now that we're sleeping at the same time, we're together again."

"That sounds about right. I don't want to think about it too much, or I'll get a headache."

I laughed. "Same here. Besides, I can think of a bunch of other things I'd rather be doing right now," I said suggestively, wrapping my arms around her waist. I hadn't had sex in days; I was practically aching with need for her.

"Slow down mister, we need to talk about some things, and besides, I don't know if we should have sex here."

"Why the hell not?"

"You saw the tree. That happened in our dream, but it came out very real. It's not like we can buy dream condoms."

"You're on the pill."

"Yes, but I haven't been checked yet."

"Me either. I'll have to do that before I see you again. If we can manage to get a condom in here, would you? I mean, the pocketknife and the blankets we sit on just show up. What if one just appears in my pocket?"

"I don't know, maybe. Why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it? I'll make an appointment to get checked tomorrow, and you do the same okay?"

I sighed. "Okay." I never thought I'd be negotiating sex in my dreams. "Hey, maybe that's why our dreams stopped the first time. We were about to go at it with no protection."

"That's exactly why we need to treat this as though we are actually physically together right now. Maybe we were being protected or something."

"You're right. But when we see each other, you're in for it."

"I'm looking forward to it," she smirked. "Now start talking. I want to hear all about Sweden, and your mom and sister."

I smiled into her hair, and then began talking. I told her everything that happened over there.

When I got there, it felt good to be back, and then I remembered why I was there, and that Sookie wasn't there with me. It sobered me up quickly. I had met Pam at the hospital, and the first thing I did was pull her into my arms. It was so good to see her again. She actually cried a bit, and admitted that it was the first time she'd cried since I left. Mom was sleeping when I saw her the first time, and I was glad. I wouldn't have been able to hide my anger. Her right eye was swollen shut, she had a bruise on her left cheek, and a cut on her forehead. Her wrist was wrapped up, and Pam informed me that she also had two broken ribs, and a few bruised ones. While we waited for her to wake up, we quickly formulated a plan to get Marcus back. It wasn't as severe as I'd have liked, but I knew it would work.

When Mom finally woke up and I got to see her…it was an emotional reunion. The first thing she wanted to know about was Sookie, which surprised Sookie when I told her. Mom asked me about her, and she listened to me talk about her for an hour. When I finally realized I had been rambling, she simply told me that I was in love, and that she couldn't wait to meet my girl. Pam and I quickly came up with a sleeping schedule, and we switched out every eight hours or so. Mom and I caught up on the last seven years, and I found out that she and Pam traveled for a while, and she was sorry she never came to see me, but she didn't know what Marcus would do if he found out. I told her it didn't matter, and apologized for breaking contact with them. She understood, and it would have ticked me off, but I remembered Sookie's words. No one blamed me, and I had to keep remembering that.

On the day she was discharged, everything went according to plan. Pam had called the papers as an anonymous tipster, and a lot of photographers showed up. We got Mom back to the hotel, and managed not to hear anything out of Marcus. I told them mine and Sookie's story on the plane, and surprisingly, they accepted it. Both of them said that they had never seen me so happy, and they didn't care how bizarre the circumstances were. Mom actually thought it was quite romantic. She asked me when I was going to propose, and even gave me her grandmother's ring. I didn't tell Sookie that part.

After I finished telling her everything, she told me how proud she was of me, and then we simply held each other, and watched the stars. That dream ended when we fell asleep in each other's arms, and when I woke up I felt like I was still holding her. After I realized that I wasn't, I was a bit ticked, and then my phone rang. It was Sookie, and she wanted to know if I had the dream. I confirmed it, and we talked for a while before she had to go. After I took care of business in the bathroom, I smelled something delicious. Mom was making waffles. I had a quick thought to grab the framed photo of Sookie, and then I went to the kitchen. Mom was standing at the stove, and Pam was sitting at the island.

"Good morning sleeping beauty," Pam said. "Finally decide to get your lovesick ass out of bed?"

"Morning Pam. Since you chose to greet me with snark, Mom will be the first to see a picture of Sookie."

"Oh you have one?" Mom said excitedly. She was dying to see her.

"Yes, it's not a good one to really see what she looks like, but it's a good one of us. Here." I handed her the framed photo, and as soon as she took it in her eyes welled up.

"Eric, she's gorgeous. You two look so happy." She looked up at me as the tears silently fell. "You hang onto this one. She's it for you, I can tell."

"I plan on hanging onto her for as long as she'll let me."

She handed me back the frame, and Pam quickly snatched it out of my grip.

"Wow, she really is pretty. She looks like a nice girl too. What the hell is she doing with you?" She had a smirk on her face, but it still stung a bit. Truth was, I knew Sookie was too good for me.

"Pamela, knock it off," our mother said. "Eric, sweetie, she's lucky to have you. Don't you ever go thinking any other way." Sometimes I swore my mother could hear my thoughts.

We all spent that day catching up, and I took them down to the field to show them the tree. They couldn't believe it either, and Mom just said that it was proof that Sookie and I were destined. I had to agree with her.

Mom had to rest a lot, and Pam went for a lot of walks. She said she enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. I hoped she wasn't too bored. I took to writing a lot, only taking breaks to eat, talk to Sookie, or spend time with Mom and Pam. I ended up getting my contract for the new book sent to me, and I signed it happily. The book was almost done, so I would have a lot of time to edit it and make sure it was perfect.

Before I knew it, the two weeks were almost over. Being able to meet Sookie in my dreams made it fly by. We had both gotten tested, and thankfully both of our results had come back clean. Even so, we decided to wait until we were physically together to have sex. It was hard at times, but we both wanted our first time without condoms to be "real" in a sense. At first I wasn't sure if I could wait, but there was something calming about our dreams, something that wasn't there before. It was almost as if the atmosphere was telling us to wait. It was strange, but again, we chose not to question it.

It came down to two nights before the award ceremony, and Sookie came to the dream upset.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I wrapped her in my arms.

"My stupid fucking boss," she replied, and my heart sank. Had she changed her mind about letting Sookie come back?

"What happened?" I asked, trying to remain calm.

"The award ceremony is a fancy banquet event, and it's one of those plus one kind of things. Arlene told me that I'm expected to have a male escort. I told her I didn't see why, especially since my significant other wasn't available. In response to that, she told me that Alcide would take me."

"Who the hell is Alcide?"

"He's one of the other photographers. He's had a thing for me since I started working there, and I think Arlene was hoping we'd hit it off, and I'd stay in the city."

"I really wish your boss was a man. At least them I could hit her," I seethed.

"I wish that too. I managed to get out of it by saying that my brother already promised to go with me if need be. She wasn't happy, but she can't really do anything about it. And you'll be happy to know that I already got her to sign a new contract for my employment that states that I can work outside of New York."

"She actually signed that?"

"She had to if she wanted me to keep working there. This new nomination, even if I don't win, opens up a lot of doors for me."

I smiled down at her. The fact that she was willing to quit her job, and find another just to be with me made me really, really happy. She was still a bit upset though, so I pressed further.

"So if everything is okay, then why are you still upset?"

"Because Jason is being a dick about it. He doesn't want to go, he doesn't want to dress up. I don't think he's worn a suit since his kindergarten graduation. If I can't manage to get him to go, it'll be hell, because Arlene is taking Alcide, and I'm sure she's going to push him off on me all night."

"The guy's not touchy-feely is he?"

"Not really, but he can come on kind of strong. He also doesn't do well with liquor, and there's an open bar. I'm sorry to bring all this here; I'm just stressed out. I have to try and bribe Jason into wearing a nice suit, and get him to go. Then if I manage that, I have to make sure he stays by my side all night so that Alcide is discouraged. I almost resorted to calling Quinn…"

"The hell you will," I said in a raised voice, and even I was surprised by the anger and jealousy that came out. I took a deep breath. "I mean, I trust you, and I know you wouldn't do anything, I just don't want you getting the man's hopes up."

She smiled a bit, "Eric, I'm not going to ask him. I would ask Amelia's boyfriend before I'd ask Quinn. Also, Quinn's engaged. I met his fiancé already, and she's actually really sweet. He's totally in love, so don't worry about that."

I'll admit I relaxed a bit. "I'm sure you can get Jason to go. Just bribe him with steak." I really hoped he would go with her.

She laughed, and finally relaxed. We talked about her coming back, and we were both excited for it. She was especially excited to meet my mother and Pam. They were also rather excited to meet her. I was just glad to have all the people I cared about in the world in one place. I found myself looking at the ring my mother gave me more and more, but I knew we weren't ready for marriage yet. At least that's what I kept telling myself.

SPOV

The morning of the ceremony I woke up feeling conflicted. I wanted it to be a happy day. I was up for an award for my photography, and I would be leaving the next day to see Eric, but I also wanted to share this day with Eric. Not only that, but Jason was being an ass about having to wear a suit, which was stressing me out. I had to get his sizes and buy him one because he had refused to go shopping with me. The only thing I had to worry about now was him being on time. I spent the day cleaning. I was trying to clear my head, and it was working for the most part. I found that I was getting more nervous about meeting Eric's mother and sister. I felt like our relationship hinged on them liking me. He assured me that they both believed our story, and were excited to meet me. From what he told me, I knew I would love his mother. She was a big believer in destiny it seemed. I figured I would like Pam too. From the way Eric described her, I knew she and I could have a lot of fun teasing him together.

Soon enough, it was time to start getting ready for the ceremony. I gave myself enough time to take a relaxing bath, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I put scented bubbles in it, and soaked for a long time. After the bath, I drained the tub and took a quick shower to wash my hair. When I got out, I called Jason to make sure he was getting ready. He mumbled something mean, but said he'd get in the shower. I went to my room to get dressed and cursed when I realized I had forgotten to get pantyhose. I hadn't dressed up in a while, and didn't have any old ones without snags. I remembered that I had a set of garters I could wear. I felt a little bad about wearing something so sexy when Eric wasn't around to see it, but I didn't have time to go out and get hose. I put them on, along with the matching bra and panties, and the only thing I could picture while looking at myself in the mirror was Eric ripping it all off. I shook my head. I needed to get laid. All in good time.

I got my dress on next. Amelia and I went shopping earlier in the week, and I fell in love with the dress. I looked like a Grecian goddess in it. At least that's what Amelia told me. It was a mushroom colored, v-neck dress that came to my calves. It had a metallic, bronze trim that crossed just under the bust that helped show my curves without clinging to them. I didn't wear any jewelry with it, and wore my hair down in soft curls. I put on some eyeliner and mascara, and even a bit of lipstick. Then I put on the shoes, which were a simple, yet elegant pair of pumps.

I looked at the clock. Jason had thirty minutes to get here, or I'd go down there and get him myself. I wondered at the fact that Eric hadn't called me all day. I hoped his mom was okay. Everything was fine in our dream the night before, and he said he'd make sure to call and wish me luck before the ceremony. I assumed he was waiting for the last minute so he could calm my nerves. I went ahead and double checked all my bags, and make sure I had everything packed that I needed. My flight was the next afternoon, and I couldn't wait to go back home.

I called Jason again, and he claimed he was almost ready, but he was still grumbling. My stomach was full of butterflies, so I ate some toast and hoped it would settle a bit. Amelia called from Tray's place to wish me luck and calmed me down some. When I got off the phone with her, I saw that Jason was five minutes late. I almost screamed, but a knock at the door stopped me. Finally! I was going to kick him in the balls before this night was over.

I started talking even before I got to the door, "Jason, you sorry excuse for a brother! I'm going to kick your ass. You're five min…" My voice died in my throat when I opened the door. It wasn't Jason. Standing there in front of me in a very nice designer suit was Eric.

"I meant to get here a sooner, but I had a bit of trouble getting a cab," he smiled.

When my jaw finally closed, I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck and held on tight. I felt my eyes well up, but I refused to let any tears fall. I couldn't believe he came all the way to New York for just one night.

"I can't believe you're really here," I whispered into his neck.

"I couldn't let you go through this alone."

"What about your mom and Pam?" I asked, still not letting go. It felt so good to have him hold me again.

"Are you kidding? They practically threw me on the plane. They were all for me coming to get you. I believe Mom said something about it being romantic, I don't know."

I pulled back and kissed him hard. God, I had missed those lips. I don't care how real those dreams felt, they were nothing like the real thing. I didn't pull away until we were breathless.

"It is very romantic. Probably the most romantic thing that will ever happen to me."

"Shit, does that mean I have to top it?" He was grinning.

"You can try, but I don't think you'll be able to."

He leaned down to kiss me again, and I happily reciprocated until I heard someone's throat clearing. We broke apart and saw Jason standing there, staring at us, and holding his tie in his hand.

"You're off the hook, brother," I said as I walked over to him to take the tie.

"Who the hell is this?" Jason asked.

"Jason, this is Eric, my boyfriend. Eric, this is my brother, Jason."

"You taking my place tonight, man?" Jason asked Eric as he shook his hand.

"It seems so," Eric replied.

"Good, I'm going back to my video games. Have a good night, sis." He gave me a peck on the cheek, and then walked away.

"Well, that was Jason," I said, as I wrapped the tie around his neck.

"What are you doing?" He asked as I popped up the collar of his shirt so I could get the tie on.

"This is a really nice event, and you need a tie," I told him.

"Sookie, this is a Gucci suit, and I don't wear ties," he pouted.

"Please?" I was giving him the look that I knew melted him.

"Fine," he sighed.

"Thank you," I kissed him, and then quickly tied the tie. "We need to get going."

"Alright," he said, and then bent to retrieve a bag at his feet that I hadn't noticed. He set it inside the door, and then declared himself ready. I went back in quickly to grab my purse, and my lipstick, since I was sure it was smeared, and then we were leaving. When we got in the cab, I pulled out my mirror so I could check my lips.

"You should just wipe it off. I plan on kissing you all night," Eric said slyly next to me.

I thought about it for a second, and then wiped it off. I didn't really need it anyway, and this way, Eric would have to make good on his promise. As soon as it was all off, and everything was back in my purse, he began doing just that.

"You look so beautiful," he murmured between kisses. "I can't wait to get you alone tonight."

"I can't wait for you to get me alone," I responded. "We need to stop kissing."

"Why?" He began to place more on my neck.

"Because we're almost there, and people will be able to tell what we've been doing."

"I don't care." He kissed my neck.

"Honestly, I don't care either, but it's my boss, Eric. I promise to make it up to you later."

He immediately stopped. "A promise is a promise, and I'm definitely holding you to that one."

"You really know how to get what you want, don't you?"

He just smirked in response, and put his arm around me. We arrived about five minutes later, and before I could get my purse open to pay the driver, Eric was handing him the fare. I decided not to argue, it wouldn't do me any good, and it didn't really matter who paid him anyway.

Despite Eric being with me, I began to get nervous again as we walked into the building. I saw Arlene and Alcide standing outside the hall, and gave Eric's hand a squeeze. When Arlene spotted us, she looked Eric up and down like he was a piece of meat. I wanted to gouge her eyes out. He was mine.

"Sookie! I almost thought you were going to be late," she said while looking at Eric. I refrained from rolling my eyes. "You must be Sookie's brother." Eric started to correct her, but I cut in.

"Actually Arlene, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Eric."

"Boyfriend? I thought he couldn't make it."

"Well, he decided to be romantic, and surprised me by flying in today. Wasn't that sweet of him?"

"Ah, yes. Very sweet. Eric, was it?" She asked, as she held out her hand for him to shake. He shook it and smiled politely at her.

"Yes, ma'am. Eric Northman. I must say it's very kind of you to allow Sookie to continue to work from another state. It means a lot to me to have her there."

I noticed Arlene's eyes get big when Eric told her his name, and as soon as she spoke I found out why.

"Oh, don't mention it," she rushed out, and then said, "Eric Northman, you say? You wouldn't happen to be Eric Northman the author, would you?"

"Yes, that's me," he smiled. He was laying on the charm now.

"I'm such a big fan of yours! I can't believe our Sookie is dating you!"

I wasn't sure whether to take that as an insult or not.

"Well, I'm a lucky man to have her," he emphasized his point by snaking his arm around my waist, and pulling me to his side, and then he kissed my cheek.

Arlene got a little red in the cheeks, but continued on, asking Eric about his next book, and trying to get plot details out of him. I felt a bit bad, because I hadn't yet read Eric's books. I had planned to read them while we were apart, but I ended up working a lot so that I could relax a bit when I went back to Missouri. It was a little weird that my boss knew more about this part of Eric's life than I did. I would have to mend that soon.

When Arlene finally shut up, I managed to introduce Eric to Alcide, who had been staring at me like a kid with a crush since we arrived. I felt bad that he had to spend his evening with Arlene, especially when he was probably expecting to try and woo me all night. Unfortunately for him, that plan went out the window when I showed up with my boyfriend instead of my brother.

We went into the hall, and took our seats. It was a banquet dinner type of ceremony, and the awards would be given out through the night. Arlene kept calling people over to our table, and I was introduced to a lot of other respected photographers, many of whom complimented me on my pictures and nomination. I was probably smiling like a loon from all the compliments, but I didn't care, not when Eric kept his eyes on me the whole night, smiling at my happiness. That's when I realized that I didn't care if I won or not. I had Eric, I was in love, and I was nominated for an award, which was a great honor to begin with. What more could I ask for?

We were halfway through the dinner when my category came up. Eric grabbed my hand under the table, and they began announcing the people who placed or rather the "honorable mentions". They announced my name as one, and I basically came in third. Eric squeezed my hand, and we smiled at each other. Third wasn't bad at all for someone as young as me, especially considering the amount of nominees they get.

"I'm sorry you didn't win, Sookie. I thought you had it in the bag for sure," Arlene said, but she didn't sound very apologetic. Before I could say something back, Eric spoke up.

"Don't be sorry Arlene. This is a great accomplishment for someone as young as Sookie. I'm very, very proud of her." He squeezed my hand again, and leaned in to kiss me. When I looked back at my boss, she was a little red in the face. I found that I didn't care at all. After the dinner was over, Arlene invited us to an after party another magazine was having at a hotel nearby. As much as I wanted to go back to my apartment with Eric, I knew this would be good for me to do, and Eric agreed, so we went.

There was alcohol and dancing, but neither Eric or I drank anything. Alcide on the other hand, made a beeline for the bar. I felt badly for him, but he really needed to grow a pair and stand up to the boss. After being introduced to some more people, and getting more compliments, congratulations, and quite a few business cards, Eric and I danced a bit. He was a really good dancer, and I decided we should try to do it more often. We probably danced for a good hour before a good slow song came on. Eric took the opportunity to hold me close, and began making good on his promise to kiss me all night, though it only looked to others like he was whispering in my ear. He knew what he was doing though, and before that song was over, I was seeking out Arlene to tell her we were leaving. I found her in a corner, making out with none other than Alcide. I decided not to interrupt.

We got into another cab, and Eric was immediately trying to kiss me.

"Whoa there, Eric. You can wait until we get back. I'm not putting on a show for the driver," I whispered sternly, trying to stop myself as well.

"If you say so," he replied, and then loosed his tie. He took it all the way off, and stuffed it in his pocket, and then he made some comment about being hot as he undid the top few buttons of his shirt. I could see his light blond chest hair peeking out, along with that delectable collarbone of his. The one I wanted to lick every time I saw it. My resolve was suddenly a block back on the street corner. I lunged at him, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him hard. He smiled against my mouth, and his hand began caressing my leg. I knew he wouldn't do anything overtly sexual in the cab, but that didn't stop me from being nervous about how that hand was traveling up toward my thigh. It stopped suddenly, and Eric stiffened slightly. It took me a second to figure out why, and then I realized that he was feeling the tops of my stockings. His hand began moving again from the side of my leg to the top. He pulled back suddenly, and looked like a kid who had just found his favorite candy.

"Sookie, are you wearing garters?" He had that goofy smile on his face.

"Maybe…I guess you'll have to get this dress off of me as quickly as possible to find out, won't you?"

He growled, and then began kissing my neck. Then he whispered in my ear, "I'm so hard from picturing you in what's underneath that dress." To emphasize his point, he took my hand, and placed it in his lap. I moaned at what I found there. He was hard all right, and I swear I felt him twitch when I moaned.

"Eric," I whispered breathily.

Before I knew what was happening, the car stopped moving, and Eric was handing money to the driver before pulling me out, and into my building. As soon as we were in the elevator I was being pushed up against the wall, and his lips were on mine.

"It's been too long, Sookie," he said huskily.

When we got to my floor, Eric backed me out of the elevator, still kissing me. I finally managed to break away, and turned around so I could dig my keys out of my purse. He put his hands on my hips, pressed his erection into me, and then his lips were by my ear whispering, "If you don't get that door unlocked in about fifteen seconds, I may lose control and take you right here."

"That's not helping me go any faster," I replied.

He kept up his rhythmic grinding against me, and I almost cried out in relief when I finally got the key in the lock and turned it. We stumbled into the apartment, and Eric stopped to pull the keys out and relock the door. He tossed them onto the counter, and then his arms were around me again. Somehow, even in the dark, he managed to get me straight to the bedroom without tripping over anything, or walking into any walls. He even got the light turned on as soon as we were in the room. He had always loved to have sex with the light on, and while I was a bit nervous about it the first few times, I found that I loved it too. We loved each other, and each other's bodies, so why not be able to see everything as we enjoyed each other? It was quite a turn-on to see all of the muscles he worked during sex.

Before we hit the bed like I desperately wanted, Eric stopped and pulled back to look at me. In place of all the horniness and lust that had filled his eyes earlier, there was now nothing but love. I'm sure it was only a matter of time until the other two came back, but I enjoyed the look nonetheless.

"I love you, Sookie. I don't want to be apart for this long ever again."

I actually got a bit nervous with his words. It almost sounded like the lead-up to a proposal, but we had a ways to go before we even thought about marriage, didn't we? I didn't want to ruin our reunion by turning him down. Would I actually turn him down? Thankfully, he didn't say anything else. He didn't get down on one knee, or reach into his pocket for a little jewelry box, and I was a bit surprised at the twinge of disappointment I felt. I quickly swept that twinge away, and focused on the other feelings I was experiencing at that moment. Namely love, lust, and an insane amount of horniness. I pulled his head roughly to mine, and kissed him hard. Hopefully he understood that I was reciprocating the sentiment he had just expressed. I didn't want to part from him again either.

I backed him into the bed and pushed on his shoulders until he sat down. I stood between his knees, and his hands began to run up my legs and under my dress as he stared up into my eyes. I pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders and he pulled it all the way off, and let it fall to the floor. I let out a slight moan as his hands massaged my ass and pulled me closer to him. I pushed back again, and he removed his hands. I slowly peeled off my dress, and he let out an incoherent noise at seeing me in the lingerie. I would have to remember just how much he enjoyed it. I stepped closer to him again, and when he pulled me to him this time, he busied himself with kissing every bit of skin he could reach. When I felt his fingers hook into my panties to pull them down, I stopped him.

"Sookie," he said in his deep sex voice.

"All in good time, Eric. You're still a bit overdressed," I said as I began undoing more of his shirt buttons. He put his hands on mine to stop me, and then he stood up and before I knew what was happening, he picked me up. I giggled and kissed his neck as he climbed up on the bed with me, and set me down in the middle. He kissed my lips, my jaw, my neck, the swell of my breasts, down my abdomen, my thighs, my knees, and stopped at my ankles. He got up off the bed and stood at the foot of it. I propped up on my elbows to watch him as he ever so slowly finished unbuttoning his shirt, but he didn't pull it off. Next he went for his pants, undid his belt, and swiftly pulled it from the loops. I watched his fingers unbutton them and slide down the zipper, and then they dropped to the floor revealing a seriously large bulge in his briefs. He looked so beautiful standing there with his shirt open, revealing his taut, muscled abdomen, and hard chest. I realized that my breathing had increased just from looking at him. He gave me a wicked grin, and then slowly shrugged out of the shirt, letting it fall to the floor as well. Then he hooked his thumbs into the elastic of his underwear, and almost too slowly, pulled them down as well, revealing his very ready erection. With that, he was finally standing in front of me naked. I had really, really missed that sight. He climbed back up on the bed, and as soon as he was near enough I kissed him passionately.

"You have no idea how wet you just made me," I whispered in his ear. He growled in response, and after removing my bra, he kissed his way down my body. This time when he went to remove my underwear, I happily let him. As soon as they were off, and flung somewhere in the room, his head was between my thighs, and I cried out in relief as I felt him lick me. I had missed that desperately as well.

"I've missed this," he said, and then went to work. He used his lips, tongue, and fingers on me until I was a panting, begging mess, but he didn't let me find my bliss. Suddenly, he stopped it all, and positioned himself on top of me. I moaned when he kissed my lips because I could taste myself on him.

"Are you ready?" He asked in a very guttural voice.

"Yes," I replied softly.

"Are you sure you want to do this without a condom?"

"Yes, are you?"

"Oh yes, I am," he said, as I felt him position his silky tip right at my entrance. With a very meaningful look, he slowly slid into me. I cried out in the extreme pleasure of finally feeling all of him, like I had been wanting for so long. The look on his face alone almost made me lose it. His eyes were shut tight, and he groaned when he was all the way in.

"Fuck, Sookie," he said. "You feel so good."

I could only moan in response, and then he began moving in me. I couldn't have spoken then if I wanted too. It had been so long since we last made love, and it felt like I was in heaven. I was enjoying every second of it, and I believe he was too, because he was making noises I'd never heard from him before. He began thrusting faster, and I knew he was getting close. His hand went down between us, and his thumb rubbed my clit as he nipped at my earlobe.

"Come with me, Sookie. Please," he begged.

All of a sudden, I made my own unfamiliar noise as I had my release. I felt myself clench around him, and wrapped my arms around his neck as though I was holding on for dear life. He groaned above me, and thrust as deep as he could get. I felt him expand, and then I felt the warmth of his release inside me. This was true bliss. We stayed wrapped up in each other for a while, and when he finally pulled out, I wanted to cry, and I may have whimpered.

"How many times can we do that tonight?" I asked.

"As many as you want. Sleep is for pussies," he laughed, as he propped himself up on his elbow next to me.

I laughed right along with him, and then we just stared at each other. When my brain began to work again, I finally realized that he had some explaining to do.

"How did you know where I lived?" I asked.

"Your mom. After you told me about being stressed about the ceremony and the thing with that guy, I decided I couldn't let you deal with all that. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. Anyway, I called your mom, and told her my plan, and she happily gave me the address."

I smiled, "But did you do this for me, or because you knew there would be a guy there trying to woo me?"

"Sookie, I did it for you. I didn't want you to have to deal with that guy, or Jason, or your boss. It was all of it. I also admit that I did it for me as well. I couldn't resist getting to see you again."

"I'm glad you did it."

"Me too," he said, and then paused and looked troubled by something.

"What's wrong?" I asked, as I stroked the side of his face with my hand.

"I have something to tell you."

"Well spit it out, I don't like how bothered you look."

"Sookie, I left New York five years ago," he paused, as though he was trying to figure out what to say.

"Yes," I helped him along.

"And you came here five years ago, just after I left."

I nodded. I didn't understand what he was getting at.

"When you moved here, you moved into my old apartment. This is the exact apartment I lived in."

"What?!" I exclaimed, as I sat straight up.

"I know. I've had more time to process it, but when your mother told me your address, I could hardly believe it. I used to live here."

"That's how you knew your way around in the dark."

"Yeah."

"Holy shit, Eric. This is just…wow. I mean…I don't even know what to say. This could be a coincidence right?'

"Could be, but I don't think it is."

"Should we examine this one a bit more, or file it away in the cabinet of weird that is our relationship?"

He laughed, and pulled me back down to the comfort of the pillows and his arms. He rolled on top of me and looked right into my eyes. "I say we just add it to the pile, and not think about it right now. Right now, there are many other things I want to be doing."

I felt exactly what he was talking about, and it still surprised me how insatiable he could be. "Alright, but can I take the shoes off this time? My feet are killing me."

He let out his loud, rumbling laugh, and then pulled off my shoes for me. Then he removed the garters and stockings with a sad look.

"I'll wear them again as soon as I can, okay?" I felt like I was soothing a child.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

With a happy smile, he got back on top of me. "You make me so happy."

"You make me happy as well. In fact, I really don't think I've ever been this happy."

"Then I'll have to make sure I keep up the good work. Tell me, Sookie. What would make you happy right now?" He asked with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Hmm…I don't know. Sleep maybe? I am awful tired."

With a smirk, his hand went between my legs and felt my wetness. "I don't think you're body wants sleep, my dear."

"Silly me. I must have misinterpreted it. What do you think it wants?"

He grinned broadly, and then slid into me a couple of inches. "This perhaps?" He asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"I don't know, maybe I'm misreading it too," he said, and then began to pull out.

"Like hell you are!" I immediately arched my back, and he slid in a bit more. He groaned, and then pushed in all the way.

Neither one of us was able to speak after that, and after two more rounds that night we drifted off to sleep tangled up in each other, sated, happy, and completely in love.

* * *

***le sigh***

**Next chapter will be Sookie and Eric coming back. I'm not positive when it'll be up, because I'm not going to start on it until I get all the angsty chapters of Studybuddies done. But the good news is that I have the first one completed, so just 3 more, and then I can work on this again. Yay! I hope this one tides you over until then!**

**Thanks for all the love and support! **


	23. Chapter 23

**Yay! I'm so happy to be updating again! Big, huge thanks to FDM for her fudgeawesome beta skills! *hugs and pours glass of wine***

**Okay, first of all, I need to tell ya'll about the best fic you're not reading right now. It's called Picking Up The Pieces, by stealingdreams. It's an AH fic set in WWII, and it's extremely well-written. You'll get sucked right in, I promise! It's also got one of the best Eric/Sookie first kisses I've ever read! If that's not incentive, I don't know what is. So go read it and leave some review love! **

**Linkage: http://www . fanfiction . net/s/5285255/1/Picking_Up_the_Pieces**

**Okay, now on with the chapter...**

* * *

Chapter 23

"Sookie," I whispered in her ear. I felt her shiver in response, but that was it. "Sookie, my love, you need to wake up," I whispered a bit louder. She moaned in her sleep, and the sound shot straight to my dick. Shit. There wasn't a lot of time for that. I needed to wake her up. I shook her shoulder a bit, and said her name again. She shot up so fast, her forehead slammed right into my nose.

"Fuck!" I yelled as I flopped back on the bed holding my nose.

"What the hell?" I heard Sookie say next to me. "Oh my god! Eric! Are you okay?"

I watched through watery eyes as she leaned over me to look at my nose. Yes watery, that shit hurt.

"Eric, you're bleeding," she said, concerned. "Come on, let's go to the bathroom."

I slowly got up, and walked naked to the bathroom with one hand pinching my nose, and the other below my chin, catching the blood. She positioned my head over the sink, and then wet down a washcloth, handing it to me before heading out of the bathroom with a comment about swelling. I wiped the blood off my chin, and then held the washcloth to my nose as I tilted my head back.

"Go sit on the toilet, I need to see it," Sookie said as she came back in the bathroom. I did as she said, and made my way to the toilet to sit. She gently put her hand over mine, and moved it so she could look at the damage. "I think it's done bleeding."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah," she replied, and then took the washcloth from me, replacing it with an ice pack. "Hold that there for a sec," she said, and then I heard her go back to the sink and run some water. She returned, and told me to pull the ice away so she could wipe rest of the blood off.

"I'm so sorry, Eric," she said with a sniffle. Was she crying? I was stupidly still tilting my head back, so I righted my head until I could see her face. There were a few tears sliding down her cheeks, so I quickly wiped them away with my free hand.

"It's okay," I said.

"No. What will your mother think when you show up with a swollen nose?"

"I doubt it'll still be swollen by the time we get back, and she'll probably think it's funny. I know Pam will think it's funny."

"I can't believe I did that. I'm so embarrassed." Her cheeks flushed red, and I felt bad. I gripped the back of her neck, and pulled her face gently to mine. She was careful not to touch my nose as I kissed her lips gently.

"Don't worry about it. It's actually kind of funny. It'll make a nice story to tell our kids someday."

She stiffened when I spoke, and it was only then that I realized what I had said. I didn't regret it. I did want kids someday, and I definitely wanted them with Sookie. Nothing would make me happier than seeing her body swell with the new life that we created together. She did stiffen, however. Did Sookie not want children? I was almost afraid to ask. I must have been looking at her questioningly, because she gave me an answer.

"We'll talk about it later. There's no time for that particular conversation right now," she said soothingly, and I hoped that meant she was open to the idea.

I nodded, and then put the ice back on my nose. Sookie had put a robe on at some point, so she took it off and turned on the shower. "Come on," she said, "Let's get clean. We don't have a lot of time before we've got to leave, so no Frisk okay?"

I smiled and nodded, and then followed her into the shower, leaving the ice pack behind. We showered quickly, and got dressed even faster. Sookie worried about what she was going to wear to meet my mother, but I promised her that my mom would love her even if she showed up in a potato sack. I had brought a pair of jeans, and my Ramones t-shirt to wear back. It was comfortable, and that's what I wanted to be on the plane. I finally looked at myself in the mirror when I was dressed, and saw that my nose was just a bit swollen. It hurt badly enough that I expected it to be huge, but it wasn't. As long as I kept ice on it on the plane, I figured it would be back to its normal size by the time we got back. I was really looking forward to Sookie meeting Mom and Pam. I knew they'd love her, and I knew it would finally feel like my family was all together again.

"Eric," Sookie called from the kitchen, "Are you ready?"

"Yes," I called back. I helped Sookie with her luggage, and then we left the apartment, locking it behind us. As soon as we were in the hall, she remembered that she had to tell her neighbor goodbye. While she went to the next apartment down the hall, I set the luggage I was carrying down. The next thing I heard was a female voice screeching, "What!" and then Sookie was walking up to me with another woman in tow.

"Amelia, this is Eric," Sookie said while gesturing with her hand. I could tell that she was proud to be introducing me to her friend. "Eric, this is my best friend, Amelia."

"It's nice to meet you, Amelia. Sookie's told me so much about you," I said while shaking her extended hand.

"And she's told me a lot about you too. I feel like you two have been together forever because of those dreams. You should have heard her talk about them when she first started having them. She thought she was crazy to be falling in love with a figment of her imagination, and to be honest I thought she was too at first, so I can't tell you how happy I am that you are real, and that my girl's not nuts." With that speech delivered, she finally released my hand.

"Well, I'm glad she was real too. I don't think I ever would have ended up happy if she hadn't been," I said genuinely, with a smile at Sookie.

"Does he always say stuff like that?" she said to Sookie like I wasn't there.

"Not all the time," Sookie answered with a blush. Amelia laughed.

"I know you've got a flight to catch, so I'll let you go. I'll miss you," she said as she hugged Sookie. "I promise to keep an eye on Jason too."

"Thank you, Amelia," Sookie told her as she released her from the hug.

"It was nice to finally meet you, Eric," Amelia said to me, shaking my hand one last time before saying a quick goodbye, and heading back into her apartment.

"Well, that was Amelia," Sookie laughed as she picked up her bags once more.

"She seems very nice," I said with a laugh. "Are we stopping at your brother's apartment too before we go?" I asked.

"Oh no. We'd never get him out of bed this early."

"Alright then. Let's get going." I picked up the rest of the luggage, and we made our way out of the building.

The trip to the airport went smoothly, and when we got there, I had to tell Sookie that I had bought us first class tickets for the trip back. She wanted to hit me, I could tell, but since she already injured me that morning, she refrained. I was able to reason with her that I wanted to make sure we were next to each other on the trip back and I also wanted her to be able to relax. In the end, she thanked me for thinking of her, and I was pleased she didn't put up more of a fight. I think she was relieved we would be together on the flight back. She seemed really nervous, but I couldn't tell if it was anxiety over flying or meeting my family.

"Are you okay?" I asked after we got on the plane.

"No, I hate flying," she replied. I took her hand and squeezed it.

"Is that the only thing bothering you?" I gave her a look that would give her no question as to what I was talking about.

"No," she answered quietly.

"Sookie, you have nothing to worry about, I promise you."

"What if they hate me?"

"They won't hate you. My mother already loves you just from seeing that picture of us. I swear you have nothing to worry about. Just be yourself, be the woman I fell in love with, and they will love you just as much as I do."

She nodded and squeezed my hand, and I felt like she got my point, so I didn't press her further. When the plane took off, she squeezed my hand so tightly I thought it would break, so to distract her, I kissed her. It worked. I don't think we broke away until well after the plane was in the air.

"If you kiss me like that again, I may willingly join the mile high club," she breathed.

"Don't tempt me."

She smiled devilishly back at me, and I wondered briefly if I could get her to stop off the road somewhere before we went back to the house. I could call it reminiscing.

"So is someone going to pick us up at the airport, or did you drive there yourself?" Sookie asked, and I could hear in her voice that her nerves were back.

"I drove, so it's just me and you all the way back."

I gave up on telling her everything would be okay. I had accepted that she was going to be a nervous wreck no matter what I told her. Halfway into the flight, Sookie fell asleep on my shoulder. I gently shifted her to lean the other way, and then put a pillow under her head. After that, I asked a flight attendant if she had an ice pack or if she could put some ice in a bag for me. She came back with an icepack, which I promptly put on my sore nose. I relaxed back into the seat, and let my mind wander.

I thought about my mother, and her cancer. She didn't have much time left. We set her up to see the doctor at the best hospital in the state to keep an eye on the progress. She had opted against treatments. Pam and I begged her at first, but she was adamant. She told us that she would die happy as long as she knew her children were happy, and out of the clutches of Marcus. Marcus. I snorted, earning me a few sideways glances from the other passengers. Somehow a few reporters got a hold of my address, and one actually showed up there wanting an interview. I was going to refuse, but the man had come all the way to Missouri from Sweden, so Pam and I gave him one under the condition that our location not be disclosed. That was just a few days before I left for New York, and it hadn't shown up online yet. Thinking about my mother turned into thinking about my father. Pam and I had tried to get something out of Mom about him, but she wouldn't tell us anything but a name. Niall. It was a strange name, and we assumed it was some sort of nickname, because she wouldn't tell us anything else. I was determined to find out who he was, but pressing Mom for information always ended up upsetting her, and I didn't want to do that. I didn't know where to begin to look either. I wanted to know who he was. Was he a good man? Did my mother love him? Did he love my mother? Did he know Pam and I were his? I had so many questions that my mother refused to answer, and only one other person could answer them.

I tried to imagine myself as a father. I couldn't picture myself not wanting to know my children; if I would even have children. I realized that I needed to talk to Sookie about that before I proposed. I had brought my grandmother's ring with me, and it was currently in my pocket, but I hadn't really felt right about asking her even though I desperately wanted to. I didn't think it would be a deal breaker if Sookie didn't want kids, because even though I wanted them, I didn't want them with anyone but her. She didn't seem the type to not want them because of the changes to her body, so I didn't think that would be an issue. I also knew it wouldn't be hard to convince her that she would make a wonderful mother if that happened to be her hang-up. The problem was that I didn't know for sure what the issue was. Perhaps she did want children, and was just surprised that I had brought the subject up. Did she think I wouldn't want them? I finally forced myself to stop thinking about it. It would drive me crazy, and I could know the answers to all my questions by simply talking to her about it. I would have to make a point of getting her alone soon after we got back, since that particular conversation shouldn't be had in a plane, or a car.

Sookie stirred slightly next to me, and then woke with a start. She took one look at me and began giggling. I loved her laugh, and the sound alone calmed me, and all the things I was worried about simply didn't matter at that moment. She reached over and removed the ice to look at my nose.

"The swelling's gone," she said.

"Really?"

"Yup. Are you still feeling any pain?"

"Well, right now it's numb, but I was before I got the ice on it."

She dug through her purse, and pulled out a bottle of Advil. She handed me a couple and then asked a passing flight attendant for some water. I took the pills, and thanked her with a kiss.

"Anything interesting happen while I was asleep?" She asked with a smile as she took my hand.

"Not really. I just got some ice for my nose, and did some thinking."

"What were you thinking about?"

"My father. Mom won't tell us who he is, where he is, if he knows we're his children- nothing. All she would say is that his name is Niall, but we don't know if that's his real name or just something she called him."

"Niall?" She asked with a peculiar expression.

"Yeah, that's what she said."

"That name sounds really familiar, but I can't place it."

"It's an odd name."

"I'm sure it'll come to me eventually," she said with a wave of her hand. "Was that all you were thinking about?"

"No, but that conversation shouldn't be had on a plane," I said with a small smile.

"We'll talk about it soon, I promise." She gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"Yes, we will," I promised right back.

Sookie excused herself to use the bathroom, and when she came back she began asking me questions again. She asked questions for almost the rest of the flight. She was being nervous again, and it couldn't be helped. I knew what she needed though. She needed a good fuck. I know that sounds like I just wanted to get into her pants, but really it was about her. She let the nerves build up inside her, and she was becoming an emotional mess. I was positive that all she needed was a good release or two, and she'd be right as rain.

She finally stopped asking questions, but made up for it with mindless rambling. I breathed a sigh of relief when we were informed that we'd be landing shortly. Sookie huffed at my sigh, and gave me a nasty glare.

"What?" I asked.

"If you wanted me to stop talking you could have just said so."

"I didn't want you to stop talking. I'm just relieved we're landing because I'm feeling really, really needy right now." I lowered my voice to a whisper and breathed it into her ear. To put more emphasis on my point, I kissed her neck on her sweet spot.

"I guess we'll have to fix that soon, won't we," she whispered back.

Score! I had successfully deflected her anger, and would probably be getting lucky in my car in a very short amount of time. I was rather pleased with myself. Also, I would get to relieve Sookie's stress like I wanted to.

The plane landed a short time later, and after gathering Sookie's luggage, we hightailed it to the car. I packed all her stuff into the trunk because we'd definitely want the backseat free, and then we loaded up, and started driving. Sookie told me which back roads to take so we wouldn't run into any traffic or police, and as soon as we were on them, she took off her seatbelt, undid my jeans, and then her head was in my lap. I had no idea she would do something like that, and it happened so fast I almost ran us off the road. When she felt the car jerk she pulled her head up slightly and asked if I could still drive while she attended to me. I assured her that I could, so she went back to it.

Sookie had only given me a couple of blowjobs, and she never let me actually come in her mouth. She always pulled away when I got close, and finished me off with her hand. I always felt like she was holding back or at least not comfortable with it, so I never pushed her for more. She was definitely holding back. I suspect she was just waiting on the whole making sure we were clean thing.

She took me into her hot mouth as far as she could, and then pulled her head back up, licking the tip and rubbing the underside of it with her thumb before lowering her mouth once more.

"Sookie, if you keep this up, I'm going to come," I warned her.

She moaned around my length in response, and sped up her actions. That's when she really shocked me. She moved until she was kneeling on the floorboard, I suspect to change her angle, and then she slowed her movements, relaxed, and took my entire length into her mouth, and down her throat. I did run us off the road that time. I felt my orgasm burn through every nerve in my body. I don't have a clue what came out of my mouth past her name and a few curses. She greedily swallowed everything I gave her, and then slowly let me slip from her mouth. She planted a kiss on the tip, and then she put me back inside my jeans, zipped them up, and refastened the button. I stared at her in awe as she got up off the floorboard and sat back in the seat beside me as though nothing had happened. When my brain began to work again, I took in our surroundings. Thankfully, we were in a flat area with a wide berth on both sides of the road, so I really just pulled over instead of running us into a ditch. My foot was still pressed hard on the brake, so I put the car in park. I turned to Sookie, who was looking at me like she wanted to devour me again. I would have gladly let her.

"Sookie, that was…" I was at a loss for words. I had never imagined in my wildest dreams that Sookie would do something like that, let alone in my car while I was driving. She slowly licked her lips, and then dreamily whispered that she could still taste me. That was all it took for the final cylinder of my brain to fire up. I was on her in seconds, expertly undoing her jeans. I yanked them off of her, taking her underwear and shoes with them. Seconds later my mouth was on her, and I was very pleased to find her soaking wet. She cried out as I tasted her, and moaned my name when I slipped my fingers inside her. I wanted to bring her a release hard and fast, so I went right for the kill. I curled my fingers inside her, and massaged her pleasure spot as my lips closed around her swollen clit, and sucked. She was convulsing and pulsing in seconds, and I hungrily licked up all her juices until she came down.

I pulled my fingers from her and licked them clean while looking right at her. When I pulled the last one from my mouth, I offered her a lopsided grin. She grabbed my face, and pulled me up to her hard. She kissed me bruisingly on the mouth, and pressed her body into mine. I was shockingly hard again already, and she kept rubbing up against the bulge in my jeans.

"Sookie, wait," I managed to get out. "We need to go somewhere with a bit more coverage to do that."

She groaned, but released me and said, "Drive fast, I don't want to wait."

I did as she asked, and she pulled her underwear and jeans back on, but didn't fasten them. She also left her shoes off. I really had to get her to wear more dresses, and less underwear. About five miles down the road, I found a promising road to pull onto, and went down that gravel road a couple more miles before finding a nice spot in some trees to pull over. Sookie didn't waste time, and as soon as we were parked, she climbed into the backseat. I chuckled at her eagerness.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked.

"Nothing yet," she responded, and I growled. I couldn't quite fit over the seats as gracefully as she did without landing hard on her, so I got out of the car and climbed into the backseat through the door. By the time I got there, she already had her jeans and underwear off again, and was working on her shirt. I helped her with that, and then her bra. When she was finally naked in front of me, I began removing my own clothes. It took a bit of maneuvering, but after a minute or so I was finally naked on top of Sookie. She ground herself against me, and I groaned.

"Fuck me, Eric," she moaned. "I want you to fuck me hard and fast."

I think my dick twitched when I heard her words. Sookie hardly ever talked dirty. She was more of a shouter. She liked to yell out my name, and sometimes a few cuss words, but she never demanded for things like this. It was insanely hot. I placed myself at her ready entrance, and thrust into her hard.

"Yes," she cried out.

I groaned, and then pulled almost all the way out before thrusting hard back into her. Her nails raked down my back, and rested on my ass, squeezing it hard. She was already very wet, and she felt so tight around me. I couldn't believe I was lucky enough to have this woman.

"Oh God, Eric. More," she begged. Who was I to hold out when she was begging? I began pounding into her hard and fast, just like she asked. She thrust her hips up to meet mine as much as she could, and then pulled my head down to kiss my lips. She bit my lower lip lightly, and then released my mouth so she could moan. I was spurred on by her noises, and felt my balls begin to tighten with my impending release. Before I could even think about reaching down between us to help her along, she cried out with release.

"Ahh! Fuck, Eric!" she screamed as she tightened around me and convulsed with pleasure. My hips jerked as I thrust deeply into her one last time, and I came with a force I hadn't thought possible given what had happened not thirty minutes prior. "Ungh, Sookie," I groaned as I spilled into her warm depths.

I collapsed on top of her until our breathing returned to some semblance of normalcy. I finally pulled out of her, and when I did, she winced. I immediately felt horrible.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'll be fine. We just won't be doing it that rough again for a while," she smiled at me, but I still felt awful.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'll make it up to you."

"Eric, you have nothing to apologize for. I wanted it like that, I asked for it. I sure as hell enjoyed it, and I'm pretty sure you did too, so no apologizing."

"Where did that come from anyway?" I asked.

"I really don't know. I just had to have you. I think I was letting my nerves eat me up, and I just needed a release from it. Also, I may have snuck one of those little bottles of alcohol when I went to the bathroom on the plane."

"What?! You never drink. I didn't even smell it on your breath."

"Mints."

"Shit. So you only did all that because you had alcohol?" I asked, crestfallen. I wanted her to have done it because she wanted to, not because she was influenced.

"No! Don't think that. Eric, I promise you that I've wanted to do both of those things for quite a while. I was waiting on our clean bill of health for the first, and the second… Well it's been a fantasy of mine since our dreams started, and I knew that this would be our only chance."

"A fantasy since our dreams?" I asked in disbelief. I really never would have guessed it. She nodded a bit shyly. "But why would now be our only chance?"

"I am not having rough sex with your mother or sister sleeping in the room next to us," she said like it was completely obvious.

"Oh, right. I get that," I laughed. "Though, we always have the field," I waggled my eyebrows at her, and she giggled.

"Speaking of, we need to get going or they'll wonder where we are." She began to search around for her clothes, and started getting dressed. I watched her until she found my shirt and threw it at my head. "Come on, dreamy eyes, get dressed. I want to meet my new family." Hearing her put it that way made me want to pop the question right then and there, but the whole children thing held me back. Thinking of the ring did break me out of my trance, and I snatched my jeans up before she threw them at me too. I didn't want that important box falling out of the pocket. We finished getting dressed, and then got back in the front seat. Sookie slid right up next to me, and I put my arm around her, and kissed her temple.

The rest of the drive was considerably calmer, and when we were within a few minutes from the house, I began getting excited again. Sookie tensed a bit with her nerves, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before. She brought her hand up to grasp the one I had resting on her shoulder, and squeezed. We pulled into the drive, and as soon as we were out of the car, I saw Ansel come running out of the house, my mother stepped out behind him. Sookie hadn't seen her yet. She had knelt to hug Ansel because the smart shit had run right up to her. I was pretty pleased that he had missed her. I came around the car and scratched Ansel behind the ears once. My mother made her way to us slowly, and as soon as Sookie stood up Mom embraced her.

"It's so wonderful to finally meet you Sookie," Mom said as she hugged her.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you too, Mrs.…"

"You can call me Emma," my mother interrupted with a smile.

Sookie smiled right back, "Emma. It's wonderful to meet you too."

"Come my dear, you two must be hungry. I've got some early supper made." With that, she took Sookie's hand, and led her inside, leaving me to bring in all of the luggage. After I got it all inside, and back in our room, I joined them in the kitchen. They were talking about Sookie's pictures, and I got a good feeling from hearing them be so natural with each other.

"Where's Pam?" I asked as I came into the room.

"She went off on one of her walks, dear. She'll be back soon. She's quite excited to meet Sookie."

They were sitting at the table, Mom at the end, and Sookie right next to her on the side. Sookie seemed completely at ease, and I was relieved.

"Where is she even going on these walks? We both know Pam hates exerting herself."

"I have my suspicions, but it's up to Pam to let us know if she so chooses," Mom replied with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Let's get some food in you two. You look famished."

Oh, but if only she knew just how famished we really were. She had made a simple chicken casserole for us, but as with everything my mother cooked, it was delicious. Sookie loved it too, and Mom promised to show her how to make it. After we ate, I offered to do the dishes so they could talk more, and they accepted. I was enjoying listening to them tell each other stories while I washed up everything. Mom had Sookie in stitches when she told her an embarrassing story about me when I was learning how to pee like a big boy. Something about the toilet seat coming down on my "little Eric" and me screaming that the toilet tried to eat it. I was as red in the face as Sookie, but it was good to hear the both of them laughing. Just as I finished up the dishes, I heard the front door open. Pam was back.

She came walking into the kitchen like she didn't have a care in the world. She looked…happy. It was a strange look to see on Pam's face. She stopped walking when she saw me.

"Nice to see you, Pam," I said. She ran to give me a hug, which also surprised me.

"I've missed you," she said as she hugged me. "Now where is Sookie?" I put my hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face Mom and Sookie, who were standing together. I was pleased to see that Sookie's arm was through Mom's and that my mother was stroking her hand gently, as though she was reassuring her.

"Pam, I'd like you to meet Sookie," I said. Pam walked up to her, and pulled her into an embrace. This was _really_ unlike Pam. She was never this happy.

"It's nice to see my brother took his head out of his ass and found himself a good one."

Now _that_ was Pam.

"Oh. I'll take that as a compliment, I suppose, but you could really say the same for me. I found a good one in your brother too."

Pam grinned at her. It was Pam's welcome to the family grin. I could tell because it was the first time I'd ever seen it.

"Eric, would you mind if Sookie took me for a drive in your car? I'd really love to see this little town from her perspective."

I narrowed my eyes at her. She smiled in return, and I couldn't see the harm. Sookie looked like she wanted to go too, so I agreed, and handed Sookie the keys. I made sure to give her a kiss before they left, which earned me a beaming smile from my mother. She was so happy.

After Pam and Sookie left, I asked Mom what she thought of her.

"She's perfect for you Eric. She's just the type of girl I've always imagined you ending up with. So sweet, and kind. I only have one question."

"What?"

"Why on earth is she not wearing your grandmother's ring yet?"

I sighed. I knew she just wanted to see her children happy before she passed, but that thought alone was something I wasn't willing to face at the moment.

"I want to ask her, but there are some things we need to talk about first," I explained.

"What do you need to discuss? You both love each other, nothing else matters."

"We have to talk about kids. I said something about wanting them this morning, and she indicated that we needed to talk about it. We haven't had the chance yet. It wouldn't feel right proposing without knowing how she felt about having a family with me."

"I'm sure she wants children with you. Just look at this from her perspective. She just met you less than two months ago, and you're already talking about wanting her pregnant. That's a lot for a woman to take in. Perhaps she just doesn't want children right away."

I nodded, hoping she was right. I really hadn't thought of it that way. We really had only been together for a couple months.

"She loves you, Eric. Make sure you two get a chance to talk soon, okay?"

"Okay," I said. "Now what the hell is with Pam? She's acting very happy all of a sudden."

"I think she's found herself a man, but she has yet to confirm anything."

"Pam found a man? Here?"

"We'll see. She'll tell us when she's ready, but I know that look in her eyes. Anyway, I'm rather tired. I think I'll go on to bed."

"Okay. Goodnight, Mom."

She stood, and kissed my forehead. "Sleep well, dear. I'll see you in the morning."

After she went off to bed, I went back to my bedroom to start unpacking Sookie's things. I wanted her to feel at home when she got back. As I unpacked, I began to think about the children issue. I got myself so worked up about it that I decided to ask her when she got back. I was sure Pam would want to go to bed soon, so we'd be alone. It was driving me crazy not knowing how Sookie felt about it. Just as I finished unpacking, I heard my car pull into the drive. I went out to the living room to meet them, but Pam simply kissed me on the cheek, and said goodnight on her way back to her room. Sookie came in right after her, smiling.

"I think you and I need to take a walk in the field, Eric."

* * *

**So are you wondering who Pam's man is? *giggles* I'm dying to know what ya'll think of this chapter. **

**I feel like I was planning to tell ya'll something else, but I can't remember what it was. I freaking hate that. **

**For those who read Studybuddies, I'm working on the next chapter, and I hope to have it done soon! It shouldn't be too much longer now. **


	24. Chapter 24

**I know, I know...don't kill me. I'm finally updating, and I swear this was done a week ago! *ducks* Our beta's have lives too! Big thanks to FDM for taking the time to fix my mistakes, you are a goddess my dear!**

**I have been uberbusy with my sister, who is a perfectionist of a bride, but getting married next month, thank goodness. I'm going to be moving to a new house next month or November... changing jobs...I've been really stressed, so please don't hate me if I'm a shoddy updater for the next month or so. *passes out suckers as bribes***

**Okay, Pimpage time! There's a new contest! It's called _Eric and his Great Pumpkin!_**

**Linkage: http://www . fanfiction . net/~EricandhisGreatPumpkin**

**I do have an idea, and I will be writing for this contest! I'm very excited about it, so be on the lookout for that! If you have any ideas, please participate! It's all kinds of awesome, and there are great prizes! **

**Now on with the show...questions are answered, and good things happen :)**

* * *

Chapter 24

"_I think you and I need to take a walk in the field, Eric."_

He looked confused, but when I grabbed a blanket from the closet, he followed me out the front door anyway. I grabbed his hand when we were outside, and we headed for the pond. The moon was full and bright, and the sky was cloudless, so we could still see each other well. We didn't talk until we got to the pond and sat down on the blanket.

"So what happened with Pam?" Eric asked.

"We went for a drive, and she shared some things with me."

"Like…"

"She has a boyfriend."

"Do you know who it is?"

"Yes, and I've known him all my life."

"It's not Bill, is it? Please tell me it's not Bill."

"No! Give the woman some credit."

"Then who is it?"

"I want to tell you first, that Pam asked me to be the one to tell you. She thinks you'll take it better coming from me since I know the man. She really does want you to be okay with it."

Eric simply stared me down. I'll admit I was having a bit of fun knowing something that he so desperately wanted to know.

"When we left, Pam asked me to take her to Merlotte's. We got there, and she said she wanted to go inside, so we did. I was definitely curious, but I figured she just wanted to have a meal and get to know me. Then she walked straight back to Sam's office, and Sam greeted her with quite a kiss…"

He cut me off. "Sam?! Pam is with Sam? Are you serious?"

I laughed. "Is that such a bad thing? I saw them together. I've never seen Sam so smitten with anyone. Your sister looked quite smitten herself."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Well, they met when Sam picked you guys up at the airport, and they were attracted to each other…"

"Don't say attracted. That's my baby sister."

I rolled my eyes, and ignored that. "They were _attracted_ to each other, and Sam told Pam about owning the bar, so Pam went on a walk to see if she could find it. She didn't really want to ask you to take her for obvious reasons. As you know, Merlotte's is about ten miles from here, so she couldn't find it. She was going to give up, but she went to the post office to see if they would give her directions, and that's where she ran into Sam. They ended up talking, and Sam invited her to the bar for lunch. She went, and they hit it off. He wanted to know if she'd come back the next day, but she admitted that she didn't have a car, and there was no way she'd ask you to borrow yours, or drive her there, so Sam offered to pick her up at the post office again. Almost everyday since then, Pam has been meeting Sam and spending time with him."

"Does she love him?" Eric asked quietly.

"I think it's close to that, if not there already."

Eric stayed quiet so I continued. "I know Sam. You got to know him a little, but I've known him for a long, long time. He's a good man, he's protective of those he loves, and he's extremely loyal. I couldn't pick a better guy in this podunk town for your sister."

He stayed quiet for a few minutes before he spoke. "I suppose it's not a bad thing that Pam found a boyfriend. I am relieved that it's Sam." He sounded a little hurt, so I put my hand on his knee and squeezed lightly.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Why did she think she couldn't tell me? I remember a time when we told each other everything. Even when we were teenagers we told each other everything. Did I really screw up our relationship that badly?"

Shit. I hadn't thought of him reacting like that. "No, you didn't screw anything up. Pam said she's wanted to tell you, but she was afraid of how you'd react. She talked to Sam about me, and knew we were friends, so she thought it would be a good bonding experience to share something important with me. Please don't be upset."

He sighed deeply, "I won't be upset. I just can't believe how much things have changed. I know they don't blame me, but I'll always feel like I had a lot to do with it."

I didn't know what to say. He probably always would think that way, and only time would make him feel different. He put his arm around my shoulders, as though he was trying to reassure me. I pushed back a bit and he laid us down on the blanket. We were silent for a long time, and just stared up at the stars. I saw three shooting stars before Eric spoke again.

"I have a question for you," he said tentatively.

"Hmm?"

"Do you want children with me?"

My heart immediately constricted, my body stiffened, and my eyes watered. I was afraid of this conversation, but I knew we needed to have it. I should have known he'd bring it up sooner rather than later.

"What is it Sookie? Do you not want kids? Do you not want them with me?" He paused, and I knew the other reason had finally hit him. "Are you not… able to have children." I heard the fear in his voice, and knew for sure then that he definitely wanted kids. He hadn't said what he did that morning because he wanted to figure out what I wanted; he really wanted children with me. I sat up, and took a deep breath. Eric sat up as well, and took my hand in his.

"Just after I moved to New York, I started having really, really harsh cramps during my period. I went to the doctor, and they put me on birth control, but it didn't help. I continued to get the cramps sometimes when I wasn't on my period. I went back to the doctor, and long story short, I found out that I am still able to conceive, but… it's difficult." As I spoke, my eyes watered over, and hot tears slid down my cheeks. I had felt Eric gradually stiffen next to me, as though he was bracing himself.

"What do you mean by difficult?" He asked in a tight voice.

"It's possible for me to get pregnant, but it'll be hard. If I manage to get pregnant, there's a great possibility that I wouldn't be able to carry the baby to term; I would likely miscarry or have the baby severely premature."

I was freely crying now. I was so scared that this would break us. Eric really wanted kids, and it was possible that he would never have them with me. I'd never thought I would really find true love, so I never expected to have to deal with this. He was being so quiet, and I didn't know how to take it. I was grasping his hand for dear life, but he wasn't really holding mine anymore. All rational thought left me. I couldn't seem to remember that this man had just flown to New York to be with me for one night. I couldn't remember the dreams that brought us together, or our declarations of love. I began to convince myself that he wouldn't want me. The fear that had settled in the pit of my stomach began to rise to the point that I was about to get up and run away. I would just go to Sam's house and stay with him until I could get back on a plane. Then I remembered that Sam was seeing Pam, so I couldn't go there. I supposed I could stay with Bill, even though I really didn't want to. Eric wouldn't expect me to do that. I gave myself ten more seconds to wait for a response from him, and then I'd leave. I continued to cry as I counted down. My heart almost broke when I hit two, and just before I said zero in my head, Eric's hand closed tightly around mine, and he wrapped his other arm around me, crushing me to him. My hand grabbed his shirt tightly at his back, and I sobbed into his chest. He began rocking me from side to side gently, and let go of my hand so he could run his fingers through my hair.

"Shhh… Calm down," he soothed. I continued to cry, and then Eric began to hum. Gradually, the sound calmed me until I was just sniffling into his shirt.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"For what?" He asked.

"You want children. I may not be able to give you that."

He pulled back to look me in the eyes. The moonlight hit his, and I saw that they were wide, and slightly red. "Listen to me. I do want children, but I only want children with you. When we're ready for them, we can try if you want to. If we can't make them, then we'll adopt. Blood isn't the only thing that makes you family, Sookie. I would love an adopted child just as I would one we made together. I love you. Nothing's going to change that."

Tears silently fell down my cheeks again as I listened to him. I knew in my heart that he meant every word. I nodded, and took a deep breath.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Eric held out his shirt to me, and I must have looked confused because he clarified. "Wipe your nose. I want to kiss you, but I don't really want to taste your snot," he smiled.

I could feel myself blush with embarrassment, and quickly raised my hand to cover my mouth and nose. "I don't want to ruin your shirt."

"It's already soaked from your tears. It'll wash. I won't care if your snot is on my shirt, but I'll care if it's in my mouth."

I did want to kiss him. I needed that reconnection after what had just happened. I told him to close his eyes, and then I took his shirt and wiped my nose with it. When I was sure I was free of snot, I told him to open his eyes. He smiled, and then leaned in to brush his lips against mine. I pressed mine full against his, and we kissed slowly for a few minutes. Eric pulled back slightly, and whispered something that sounded remarkably like, "Marry me."

My eyes flew open wide, and I looked into his. "What?"

"Will you marry me?" He said.

Holy shit. I had heard him right. My heart began to beat faster, and I felt a swell of emotion. I couldn't speak. He was staring at me, and he looked so vulnerable, more than I had ever seen from him, and I wanted to shout my answer, but I couldn't. I was having trouble believing that it was actually happening. We had only been together a couple of months and if you counted the dreams, then we had known each other for almost a year. He was asking me to marry him. Did he really love me enough to want me around for the rest of our lives? Did I? Yes. There really wasn't any question to it.

"Sookie, I'm going nuts over here," Eric said nervously.

"Yes," I said quickly, and as soon as the word left my mouth Eric closed his eyes with a small smile of relief.

"Say it again," he whispered.

I smiled, and put my hands on his face. "Yes."

His eyes opened, and his smile reached them. I loved it when he smiled like that. My thumbs stroked his cheekbones, and then I slid my hands down and wrapped them around his neck. His arms made their way around me, and he gently laid us down.

"Again," he said.

I wanted to smack him, but I conceded anyway. "Yes."

"That's three times you've promised," he grinned.

"I answered a question, I didn't say 'I promise'," I teased.

"Ahh, but it is a promise. I asked you to marry me, and you agreed. That, in my book, is a promise."

"What about you?"

"You'll have to ask me."

"Will you marry me?" I felt a strange sense of nervousness, despite the fact that he had already asked me.

His smile grew, "Yes."

He kissed me once. I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," he said again, and kissed me again.

"Once more," I whispered.

"Yes."

"Three times, Eric. There's no getting out of it now."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

I tried to kiss him, but he sat up and started digging in his pockets.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I sat up.

"I think I still have it…aha," he turned to me, and then he picked up my left hand. We stared into each other's eyes as he slid a ring onto my finger. I looked down, and smiled. It was beautiful. It looked like it had a big diamond in the middle and smaller ones on the band on either side, but I couldn't tell in the moonlight.

"It was my grandmother's. She gave it to my mother, who gave it to me, and told me to get it on your finger."

"She just met me today. Why would she give you a ring and tell you to propose after just meeting me?"

"Sookie, she gave me the ring when I went to Sweden. I've had it almost three weeks now, and I've known since before she gave it to me that I wanted to marry you. It just came out now."

"She's wanted you to marry me for that long?"

"Yes. She said she could see how happy I was, but she really seemed to push it after I told them about the dreams. She claimed then that you were perfect for me. Mom's always been rather intuitive."

I shook my head, "What a crazy story you and I have."

"At least it's interesting. Unique too."

"That it is."

"Did you really know you wanted to marry me before you went to Sweden?" I asked.

"Yes."

He smiled, and kissed me again. This time the kissing grew urgent quickly, and before long Eric was pulling up my shirt. I put the brakes on right away, and pushed him off of me.

"What's wrong?" He asked, breathing heavily.

"I am not doing that down here at night. We'll get sweaty, and the mosquitoes will bite, and there are snakes. Besides that, I'm still a bit sore from earlier," I said a bit angrily as an afterthought. I didn't know if I'd even be able to do it for a day or so. He wasn't exactly on the small side, and I _was_ still feeling sore.

"Well, I wasn't planning on just going for it. I was going to take my sweet time with you," he breathed into my ear. His lips pressed to my neck and then he whispered, "And I wasn't expecting anything in return."

Oh shit. That was an instant panty wetter. I couldn't be sure if he had been planning that all along, but hot damn. Just thinking about the things he planned to do to me while taking his sweet time made me want to give up and let him do those things right then and there. The only problem… there really were mice, and snakes, and god knows what else out in the field at night. I didn't exactly feel comfortable being naked and in the throes of passion just to have it ruined if I thought I heard the slither of a snake. Nope, that wouldn't do.

I gave Eric an apologetic look. "I really don't think I can. I don't want to be eaten up by all the bugs out here. Can we just go back up to the house? I'll make it up to you later."

Eric sighed, and smiled. "It's okay. You don't have anything to make up to me. I've got you for the rest of my life now," he said, and then stood up, offering me his hand. I took it, and he pulled me off the ground. I picked up the blanket, and shook it off. Eric took my hand, and we walked back to the house. It was strange knowing there were other people sleeping in the house. It had just been Eric and I for so long, it seemed. We quietly put the blanket away, and went back to our bedroom. All my things had already been put away, and my empty luggage was in the closet.

"Thank you for unpacking me," I said, and turned to give him a kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I kissed him while his arms wrapped around me. He lifted me up to carry me to the bed, and we fell onto it, laughing. I finally looked at my ring in the light. It wasn't a big diamond in the center. It was four small diamonds forming a square, which were surrounded by more diamonds, and then there were three diamonds on either side in the band. It was obvious that the ring was old, and one would expect it to look gaudy with all the stones, but it didn't. They were small enough that the ring came off elegant, and beautiful. I fell in love with it.

"I can't wait to marry you," he said.

I giggled, "I'll admit there is some allure to being able to call you my husband."

"Just some?" He smiled.

"Well, more than some. I am a bit possessive of you, after all."

"Possessive of me? I thought it was just my ass."

"Oh no, not just that. I'm possessive of all of you. You're mine." I was surprised at how powerful those words made me feel. We were just teasing each other, but I really did feel possessive of him. I didn't even like the idea of another woman _looking_ at him sideways. He was mine, and he always would be. Just as I was his and always would be.

"And you are mine," he said heatedly, and kissed me. The words must have had the same effect on him. I suddenly didn't care that I was still sore from that morning. I wanted nothing more than to be close to him in the most delicious way possible. I began pulling at his shirt, which caused him to pull back and look at me.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

I nodded. "I want you," I said as I tugged off his shirt.

"What about Mom and Pam?" He asked as he peeled off my shirt.

"There's fun to be had in trying to stay quiet," I grinned, and he seemed to consider that for a moment before kissing me again with passion. Soon we were both naked, and then things slowed way down.

"Remember to be quiet," He whispered in my ear.

I succeeded in staying quiet for about twenty minutes. After that, I failed miserably. The only thing that made me feel better was the fact that Eric failed too. We were too wrapped up in the moment to care if we could be heard. As we cuddled up in each other's arms in post-coital bliss, I found that I was simply too happy to be embarrassed. I fell asleep that night in the arms of my fiancé… I could worry about being embarrassed in the morning.

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***be's nervous* Are you upset about the tiny amount of angst? I'm so, so sorry. Just remember that this is me we're talking about. Everything will totally be fine. I don't even care if that spoils things for you. But, yay! They're engaged! How was the proposal? Too cheesy? **

**An update on my progress: I have started the next chapter of this story, and also of Studybuddies, so I hope to finish those soon and update for you again. I'm also going to be working on my contest one-shot, but Studybuddies will take priority as long as my muse keeps talking to me. **

**I want to thank everyone who reviews, PM's, alerts, favorites...ya'll are the best. **

**And a special thanks to DeeMM! She's the best, and has been keeping me sane lately. Please, please, please read her fic Chasing Pavements if you aren't already. Her Eric as a single father is totes swoonworthy, and his little girl Annika is adorable and endearing, and Dee writes her so well. Her Sookie is also one of my absolute favorites, as is her twist on the Bill relationship. It's just an all-around extremely well-written fic. Go check that shit out. **

**And with that long ass A/N, I'm off to write some more before bed. Have a good one! :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello, hello my faithful, wonderful, awesome, amazing, beautiful readers *bats eyelashes and hopes ya'll aren't mad* ****I do have a good excuse for the lateness of this chapter, and it's that I finally wrote my Halloween Contest fic! Yay! **

**I'll provide the link for it, and some other cool links at the bottom, kay? **

* * *

Chapter 25

I woke up the next morning when I heard my mother and sister whispering loudly in Swedish outside the bedroom door. It seemed that Pam wanted to wake me up, and Mom was telling her to let us be, that we were up late. I smirked. I knew Sookie would be embarrassed, but I wasn't. I knew how my family viewed sex, and it wasn't a big deal to them. They knew we did it, and though I'm sure they'd appreciate not hearing it all the time, I knew they wouldn't make a fuss over it.

When Mom convinced Pam to go to the kitchen with her to help with breakfast, I rolled over, and pulled Sookie into my arms. A quick glance at her left hand revealed that the night before really had happened. It felt so much like a dream, but it wasn't. Sookie was my fiancé now, and I couldn't wait to marry her. I hoped she wouldn't want a fancy wedding, but I knew I would give it to her if that was her wish.

The good thoughts about my upcoming marriage to Sookie gave way to darker ones when I thought about her confession. I hadn't realized just how much my heart was set on having children with her, until she told me that it might not be possible. It had taken a couple of minutes for it all to sink in. When it finally hit me that she was sobbing next to me, and holding onto my hand for dear life, I grabbed her. I knew then that she wanted the same things I did. We were in it together, and if we couldn't make our own children, then we'd adopt. There was more than one way to have a family, and we'd have ours, I was sure of it.

Sookie stirred slightly, and her eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked at me, and then glanced at her left hand, no doubt wondering if it had all been a dream just as I had.

"Good morning," I said, and I hugged her more tightly to me. She giggled, and nuzzled her face into my chest.

"We really got engaged last night, didn't we," she mumbled into my chest.

"Yes, we did."

"My mother's going to flip."

"In a good way, or a bad one?"

"A good one. She was really happy that you and I got together in the first place, so I don't think she'd have a problem with us getting married. I should probably call her soon. When are we going to tell your mom and Pam?"

"How about after a shower?" I said as I pressed myself against her.

"That sounds agreeable," she grinned.

About forty minutes, and all the hot water later, Sookie and I were fully dressed, and grinning like fools as we walked into the kitchen. There were two plates of hot food waiting for us.

"What the hell are you two so giddy about?" Pam asked.

Mom turned around, and immediately looked at Sookie's left hand. Her eyes welled up, and she launched herself at Sookie, wrapping her up in a tight hug.

"You two have made me so happy," my mother said.

Pam looked confused, so I clarified for her. "Pam, Sookie and I are engaged."

"So that's what all the moaning was about," Pam observed.

Sookie immediately blushed, so I went to her, wrapped my arms around her, and kissed her. She resisted for a minute, and then gave in. When I finally released her, Mom had gone back to the stove, and Pam was reading the newspaper.

"They don't care," I whispered in her ear. "Don't be embarrassed."

She was still blushing, but she nodded anyway, and then we sat down to eat. My mother cooked a delicious feast for breakfast. We both had pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, and toast, and Sookie devoured everything, as did I. She and I took care of the cleanup, while Mom went to take a short nap. She was getting tired more easily lately. I was beginning to worry more about her.

"You need to talk to her about it, Eric," Sookie told me, as we were finishing up the dishes.

"About what?" I asked.

"How you're feeling, Niall, what she wants. You three need to sit down and talk it all out. I can make myself scarce for the afternoon. I'll go visit Sam for a while."

"We've tried that, Sookie. She clams up, and won't talk about it."

"She has to talk about it. For her own sake, as well as yours and Pam's."

"You try telling her that then, because she won't listen to us."

"I can try."

I spent the rest of the morning writing, while Sookie went out to the field to take pictures. It was almost noon when Pam came into my study. She paced around the room for a while before finally settling down on the couch to stare at me until I acknowledged her.

"So, Sookie told you about Sam?" She said quietly, not meeting my eye line.

"Yes, she did. I would like to know why you thought you couldn't tell me."

Her eyes snapped to mine, and she actually looked guilty. "I know there was a time when we told each other everything, and I still do in a way, but Eric, this was really scary for me. I really have feelings for Sam, and I was scared to death that you wouldn't like him. Your approval means a lot to me, and though it wouldn't have changed the outcome of mine and Sam's relationship, it would've been nice to have it. I went through Sookie because I knew she and Sam used to be good friends. I thought if she thought he and I were good together, then it would go a long way towards you being okay with it as well."

Wow. I had never seen Pam so insecure about anything. Ever. It hurt that she thought she couldn't tell me, and that she thought I wouldn't approve, but I understood.

"Pam, you and mom never really approved of Sophie, but I didn't know that while I was with her. What makes you think I'd throw a fit about whomever you chose? As long as you are happy, then I'm happy for you."

She smiled, but still looked nervous. "So do you…approve?"

I smiled back, "Of course I do. Sam is a good man, and I'm happy it's him you fell for." She seemed to relax after I said it, and smiled when I said she fell for him. "You are in love with him, aren't you?"

"Yes, I think I am. Who knew we'd have to move to the Midwest to find love?"

I laughed, and then got up to pull her into a hug. "I'm glad you found it too Pam."

"Can I take your car to go see him?"

"How about I drive you?"

"I know how to drive," she said as she crossed her arms and stood up.

"Yes, you do, but I love my car, and we can't have you getting pulled over by the police when you don't have an American license."

She sighed dramatically, "Fine, but let's get going. I want to be there by lunch."

"Let me save what I've got here, and then we'll go."

I got my work saved, and then drove Pam to Merlotte's. She asked if I wanted to come in, so I went to sort of "meet" Sam as the boyfriend. I knew him as the owner of Merlotte's, then as Sookie's best friend, and now as Pam's boyfriend. How many ways can one person be introduced to another? Sam seemed nervous when I walked into his office after Pam, but not before I saw the huge smile on his face from seeing her. He loved her too. I was good about everything. I shook his hand, and told him how happy I was to see him with my sister. Sam told me that he would drop her off later, and then I went back home.

Sookie's camera bag was in the living room when I got back, and I heard voices back in my mom's room. I hoped she was making some sort of progress with her. I walked slowly down the hall, straining to hear the conversation so I could decide on whether or not to go in.

"Just come on in, Eric," I heard my mother call. I sighed, and walked into the room.

"I swear, you're psychic," I said. Sookie was sitting on the end of the bed, and Mom was sitting up against the headboard. Both of them looked calm. I took a seat in the recliner in the corner of the room.

"Sookie and I have been talking," she began, "and I think it's time we all sat down and had a discussion."

"Oh Emma, I don't need to be here for it. I don't want to intrude," Sookie tried to plead, but I knew it was useless. Mom considered her part of the family now, and would insist on her being there. I was glad too, because I wanted her next to me for this conversation.

"I want you there, Sookie. I'm sure my son will want you there too," Mom told her, and took Sookie's hand. "I already consider you my daughter."

Sookie didn't say anything, she simply nodded, and even though I couldn't see her face from where I was sitting, I knew she was probably about to cry. I got up from the chair, and went to stand behind Sookie. As soon as I rested my hand on her shoulder she relaxed.

"So when are we going to have this talk?" I asked.

"Tonight, after Pamela gets home. For now, I'll make us some lunch. How does that sound?"

"Mom, why don't you let Sookie and I make lunch. You still look a little tired."

"Yes, Eric and I can make something," Sookie agreed.

"Okay, I'll be in there in a bit," she said, and then we left to go fix something.

Sookie and I fixed some soup and sandwiches for lunch, and after we all ate, Mom laid down again. It was just a bad energy day for her. I also think she was worrying about whatever she had to tell us about Niall.

"So, are you going to tell me how you convinced my mom to spill?" I asked Sookie when we went into my office to work.

"I just told her about my Gran, and how much easier it was on all of us when she talked to us before she passed. She told us what kind of funeral she wanted, what she wanted to be dressed in, the bible passages she wanted read… It was hard for all of us to do, but after she passed, we all realized how much it helped. Emma agreed to do that, and then I eased into the subject of Niall. It took a little convincing, but in the end she agreed that you and Pam deserve to know the truth about him."

I was amazed at how much Sookie convinced my mother to do in one afternoon. Pam and I had been trying to get her to do all of those things, but she wouldn't budge on it.

"I love you, you know that?" I said as I got up to sit on the couch with her.

"I do know that, but you better get your butt back to that chair right now," she said as she leaned away from me when I tried to kiss her.

"Why?"

"Because all I seem to want to do is have sex with you right now, and if you kiss me, I won't be held accountable for my actions," she explained.

"Well, I have to kiss you now," I said, and continued to move towards her. She jumped up at the last second, and I landed face-first into the arm of the couch. "Ow," I mumbled into the cushion. My nose was still a bit sore from her head colliding with it.

"Serves you right," she said.

I grudgingly got up and sat in my computer chair again, and I know I was pouting. She rejected me. I heard her giggle, and then she came to kneel in front of me. Her hands came up to cup both sides of my face, and then she pulled me down and kissed my nose.

"You know I love you, I just don't want to have sex in the middle of the day while your mother is freaking out about whatever she has to tell you and Pam. I'm worried about her."

I took a deep breath, and let it out. She was right. I nodded, and then Sookie got up and sat back down on the couch. I began to work again, but found that I was too nervous to actually write anything. Luckily, Pam came home a half hour later. It was still too early to eat supper, so we got right to it.

We all sat in the living room. Mom was in one recliner, Pam sat in the one next to her, and Sookie and I sat on the couch. Mom took a deep breath, and then began.

"When I was a young girl, I was expected to marry for money, not for love. Marcus and I were practically forced together. I know he was forced to ask me, and I could tell he didn't want to be married. I said yes, though. I was too much of a coward not to. I think he always resented me for it. About two years into our marriage, we still hadn't conceived, so we went to a doctor where we found out that Marcus was sterile. I was devastated. I couldn't divorce him without shaming my parents, so I was stuck. Stuck in a loveless marriage, with no hope for children, which I desperately wanted." She paused, and a small smile crept across her face.

"Then I met Niall. He was a photographer at a society wedding that Marcus and I attended. Marcus left early to meet up with one of the women he was fooling around with, and I was stuck there with all those self-important people. I went outside to cry, and that's where Niall found me. He was my age, and so kind and handsome. We ended up talking all night, and he gave me his phone number. I called him about a week later, and he met me for lunch. We began doing that a lot, and soon enough it evolved into something much more."

I shifted uncomfortably. I didn't want to hear about my mom doing anything like that, but I was too engrossed with what she was telling us to say anything.

"We fell in love, and he begged me to leave Marcus, but I couldn't bring myself to do that to my parents. They would have been ruined in the social circles. Truth was, I was still a coward. I was afraid. Then Niall told me he was going to be sent out on assignments as a photojournalist, and it would be unlikely that he would be back anytime soon. My heart broke, but I couldn't ask him to stay if I wouldn't even leave my husband for him. I suspect he wanted me to though," she added wistfully.

"About a month after he left, I discovered that I was pregnant. I was so elated, because I wanted nothing more than to be a mother, and I was finally going to have a child by a man I loved. But I also knew that I had to leave before Marcus found out. Unfortunately, I hadn't heard from Niall, and I didn't even know if he would want to be with me by the time he returned, so I kept quiet, and hoped that I would get a letter or a phone call before I began to show. That never happened. Marcus was furious when he found out, but he quickly put his own spin on it, and decided to claim the child anyway to cover up his own shortcomings."

I was furious. I found myself tensing up, and balled my hands into fists. How dare that asshole think he could use my mother's life like some sort of sick game? Sookie noticed my emotional flare, and ran her hand down my arm. Her touch calmed me instantly, and I took her hand in mine.

Mom continued, "I didn't see Niall again until you were a few months old. He was shocked when he saw you, and immediately wanted to take us away, but it was too late. Marcus had already been put on the birth certificate, and claimed you. If I left him, he would have had rights. Niall felt horrible for being gone when he could have done something, but there was nothing we could do. He settled for seeing you everyday at lunch. For two years, he watched you grow up for only a couple of hours at a time. It was hard on him, but he never complained. He blamed himself too much. Then I got pregnant again…"

"Wait," I cut her off. "You said you only saw him when I was there right?" I asked. She nodded. "You conceived Pam in front of me?"

"Oh, hush. You were napping," she said with a wave of her hand. My jaw dropped. Sookie stifled a giggle next to me, and then Mom continued again.

"I was able to tell Niall in person that time, and he was ecstatic, but something happened in him, and he told me that there was no way Marcus would claim another of his children. I begged him not to do anything rash. He kissed me goodbye that day, and said he'd come up with something. I never saw him again."

"What? He didn't write or call or anything? He just abandoned you?" Pam said, visibly upset.

"I don't think he wanted to. I'm still sure Marcus had something to do with it. I mean, I don't think he had him killed or anything. But he must have threatened him, or blackmail… paid him off or something. I don't know. I never heard from Niall, and Marcus never said anything. I thought I saw him once when Pam was… oh five or six, but I think it was just someone that looked like him."

"I don't even know what to say," I said.

"You don't have to say anything. You know everything now. I wish I could tell you more, but there isn't any. Sookie and I talked today, and I have decided that I will start making some decisions regarding my funeral. I know it'll be hard on all of us, but it needs to be done. I don't want either of you to have to guess at what I would want."

Pam and I could only nod, both of us too close to tears.

"I think I'm going to go lie down for a while. Don't worry about supper for me, okay? I'll fix myself something later if I'm hungry," she said as she stood up. She gave all of us a hug, and then went to her bedroom. Pam asked if she could take my car to go see Sam, and I let her. I understood. She was probably feeling much the same as me. She wanted nothing more than to be wrapped in the arms of the person she loved, and told that she'd never be alone. After Pam left, I turned to do just that with Sookie, but found her looking white as a ghost.

"Sookie, what's wrong?" I asked, taking her hand.

"Do you remember when I said I recognized Niall's name?" She asked in a tense voice.

"Yeah, why?" I asked, not quite getting it.

"Eric, I know him. I know your father."

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***GASP***

**So sorry I ended it there! Well, I'm not really... but I feel for ya, I really do. I think FDM is rubbing off on me. I think I like it... *shifty eyes***

***ahem* Links! Right!**

**Here is the link for my contest entry[remove spaces]: **

**http://www . fanfiction . net/s/5429901/1/**

**Take a gander, and let me know what you think! I'm totally planning on turning my one-shot into a multi-chapter story when the contest is over :)**

**Don't forget to check out the contest itself, and enter! It's totally fun, I promise!**

** http://www . fanfiction . net/~EricandhisGreatPumpkin**

**And last, but most certainly not least... The lovely, amazing, fudgeawesome Meads started up Teaser Mondays on the forum! Just go to the teaser thread every Monday, and see some kickass teasers for SVM stories! **

**http://www . fanfiction . net/topic/55534/19191439/1/**

**P.S. There's one in there for the next chapter of Studybuddies, which is almost finished!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello my lovely readers! I busted this chapter out for you before my busy, busy weekend started, and my beta just busted it back to me, so ya'll are getting lucky with an update in the middle of the madness. **

**So HUGE thanks to FDM for editing this for me! I love you, girl!**

* * *

Chapter 26

"What?"

"I know your father," she repeated.

I was flabbergasted. "How?"

"He's a magazine editor and a photographer. He was almost my mentor, but I was under contract with Arlene. Come to think of it, he was supposed to be at the award ceremony, but I never saw him."

"How can you be sure he's my father?"

"His name is Niall, he's a photographer, he's Swedish, and you look just like him."

"I look like him?"

"Yes. After meeting your mother I thought you looked like her, but now, thinking about Niall… You're the spitting image of him."

I wanted to say something, but I couldn't. I was speechless. Sookie knew my father. She put her hand on my arm, and rubbed it lightly.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I don't know," I said.

"What should we do?"

"What can we do? He's obviously doing well for himself, and he never tried to take her away from Marcus?" I said, the anger finally bubbling to the surface.

"We don't know all the facts," Sookie tried to reason.

"No! I don't give a shit about facts. If you were in a loveless marriage, and my kids were being raised to think someone else was their father, I would have gotten you out of there, consequences be damned. Nothing would have stopped me from being with you and my children," I said, my voice gradually getting louder.

"Eric, calm down," Sookie said sternly. "Don't jump to conclusions about him, or else you'll end up judging him harshly when you hear his side."

"What if I don't want to hear his side? I don't even want to meet him. He didn't try, so why should I? He probably ran off and married some bimbo while my mother raised us and dealt with Marcus."

"He's not married. He's a bachelor. And from what I remember of him, he always seemed like he was missing something. There wasn't any light behind his eyes when he smiled."

I took a few deep breaths, and tried to calm myself. I began speaking more softly, "So what do we do? Is it even worth telling Mom that she could speak to him again? I don't want her to die with a broken heart."

"She already has one, and if we don't give her the option to mend it, she will," she said gently.

She was right. We had to give her the chance to choose whether or not she wanted to see him again.

"So, how do we do this?" I asked.

Sookie wrapped her arms around me, enveloping me in a tight hug, and then she stood up, and led me by the hand back to my study. She picked up my laptop, and sat down on the couch.

"Sit," she said, and began typing on the computer. I sat nervously, wondering what she was doing, and then she let out an "aha!" and I turned to her anxiously.

"What?"

"They have a picture of him on the site. Do you want to see it?"

I nodded mutely, and Sookie put the computer on my lap. I knew in less than a second that there was no doubt that this man was my father. I always thought I had my mother's eyes, but I could see now that they were purely my father's. We had the same nose, the same defined chin, the same face shape. It must have killed my mother to have to see me all the time, knowing I looked just like him. I don't know how long I stared at the picture, but eventually I noticed that Sookie was running her fingers through my hair soothingly. I turned to look at her, and she smiled at me.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, I think so. How do we get a hold of him?"

"His office number is on the site, so I'll call and see if I can talk to him."

"Okay," I said, and waited nervously as Sookie got her phone out and called the number. My nerves only got worse as I listened to one half of the conversation.

"Hi there, this is Sookie Stackhouse calling for Niall Brigant. Is he available?" There was a short pause before she continued. "Could you please leave him a message that it's urgent, and to call me back as soon as possible? Great. Thank you very much. Have a nice day."

I looked at her expectantly.

"His assistant said he's been out since yesterday for personal reasons. He'll leave a message, but he said not to expect him to get back to me quickly."

"Shit," I muttered.

"It'll be okay, we'll keep calling if we have to."

"I just don't want Mom to miss out on this opportunity if she wants it. Shouldn't we talk to her before we talk to him anyway?"

"I think we should go ahead and tell her, but we still need to talk to him. He needs to know that she's dying."

"Who needs to know that I'm dying?" Mom asked from the doorway, startling both of us.

"Come in and sit down, Mom. Sookie and I have something to tell you," I said.

She hesitantly walked into the room, and sat in my computer chair in front of the couch. "What is it?" She asked.

"Emma," Sookie began gently as she leaned forward to take Mom's hand, "I know this will be a little hard to believe, but I know Niall."

I'd never seen my mother look so shocked. Her eyes widened, and she stopped breathing for a few seconds.

"What?" She gasped out. "How?"

"When I moved to New York five years ago, I met him at an event. He offered me a job with him, but I was under contract, so I didn't take it. We kept in contact, and he sends me a personal e-mail every year asking me to come work for him."

"What does he do?" Mom asked.

"He's a magazine editor, and a photographer based in New York. He's done very well for himself, but he's not happy. I could see that in only the handful of times I've met him."

"I know this is a lot to take in, but we need to know if you want us to get him to come here. Do you want to see him?" I asked.

"I don't know. I was fine with the illusion that he went off and made something of himself, though I always selfishly hoped he never married," she said with a pointed glance at Sookie.

"No, he never did. He was a bachelor when I met him, and still is," Sookie told her.

"I just don't know if I could take it if he refused to see me, or if he told me that he left of his own accord. I never really felt like he abandoned me, but what if he did?"

"I don't believe that, Emma. He's a good man. He has never been anything but kind and generous to me, and every person I've ever seen him interact with."

Mom let out a short laugh. "That sounds like Niall. You're sure the Niall you know is my Niall?"

"Yes. Niall Brigant, right?" Sookie asked.

Mom nodded mutely.

"We have a picture of him on the computer here if you'd like to see it."

She nodded tentatively, and I handed her the laptop. She smiled when she saw the picture, and her eyes shone with a reflection of happiness I'd never seen in her before.

"He's even more handsome than I remember. You know, I've gone all these years without even a picture of him. Have you contacted him yet?"

"We called his office, but he wasn't in. I'll try again tomorrow," Sookie said.

"Okay. I think I will go on to bed now," she said as she stood up and handed us the computer. "Be sure and tell Pam about all this, will you?"

"We will. Goodnight, Mom," I said.

She told us both goodnight, and then quietly went to her room. Sookie and I stayed in the study for a while longer. I laid my head in her lap, and she ran her fingers through my hair, neither of us talking. We stared into each other's eyes, and I knew exactly how lucky I was to have found the love of my life. I wasn't ever going to let her go.

Abruptly, I stood up, took Sookie by the hand, and led her into our bedroom. She didn't say anything as I began undressing her. She knew exactly what was going through my head, and I knew it.

She let me make love to her, just how I wanted. Slowly, reverently, I worshipped her, because she was mine. My love. My soulmate. I knew I would never want another woman as long as I lived. Sookie was it for me, and I knew without a doubt that she felt the same.

About an hour later, Sookie and I were in the kitchen blissfully fixing some sandwiches, and just as we sat down to eat, Pam came in. We explained everything to her, and I was surprised by how calm she seemed about it. She didn't even react the way I did when she saw the picture of Niall.

"I'm holding my emotions in for now," she explained. "If I get pissed about his abandonment, and he turns out to be a good guy, then I'll feel miserable, and if I get my hopes up that he's a good guy and he turns out to be a bag of douche, then I'll feel miserable. I'm not in the mood to be miserable, so I'll continue to hold out judgment."

With that, she told us both goodnight, and went to bed. Pam always was pretty straightforward about things.

Sookie and I finished eating, cleaned everything up, and then sat down in the living room to watch a movie. I couldn't focus on the movie at all. The only thing I could think about was my father, and how much I hoped he didn't end up hurting my mother again. I wouldn't forgive myself if he hurt her just before she passed away. She didn't deserve that.

I was broken out of my thoughts by Ansel barking. Sookie was asleep in my arms, and the movie credits were playing. Ansel was by the door, staring at me. Carefully, I got up from the couch and let Ansel out to do his business. When we came back inside Sookie was still sleeping peacefully on the couch, so I locked all the doors and turned everything off. I picked up Sookie, and carried her back to our bedroom. She was already in her pajamas, so I put her under the covers.

"Don't leave," she whispered in her sleep as I set her down.

"I won't," I whispered back, hoping she could hear me. I turned off the light, and crawled in the bed with her. I wrapped my arms around her, and held her tightly to me. I was asleep within a few minutes.

SPOV

I woke up the next morning wrapped up in Eric's arms. It felt so good, and I didn't want to move, but I wanted to get an early start on trying to get a hold of Niall. I still couldn't believe that the Niall I knew was Eric's father.

I carefully got out of bed, ignoring the dull ache in my heart at leaving him alone in bed. Really, it was ridiculous. I would just be in the next room, and it was like my heart would break.

I pulled on my robe, and went to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. As soon as I had a cup full of delicious, hot caffeine I went back to Eric's study to start making phone calls. First, I called his office again. I got the same story from his assistant, and when I tried to press for details, he would only say that it was a family emergency, and that he didn't know when Niall would be available again.

I sent Niall an e-mail with my phone number and a message that it was urgent. I wanted desperately to spill all the details of why I wanted to talk to him in the e-mail, but I held back. He shouldn't get that kind of information in an e-mail.

Next, I placed a call to Arlene, and after much begging, sucking up, and convincing that I wasn't contacting him about a job, she gave me his personal cell-phone number. I felt like I had found the Holy Grail or something, and debated on whether or not to call him. I didn't know what to say if he answered. "Hi, remember me? Sookie Stackhouse, the photographer? I'm about to marry your biological son, and his mother is dying. Wanna come over for dinner?" Yeah, not going to happen.

I decided to wait until Eric woke up so I could confer with him about it. It was still kind of early, and no one else was up yet, which surprised me a bit. I had a feeling that Emma would be sleeping in more often, and the thought gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach. I hated that Eric and Pam had to watch her die. I hated that she didn't want to fight anymore, but I couldn't blame her.

I got up, and found Ansel waiting patiently by the door for someone to let him out. I looked out the window and noticed that Bill was still home, so I quickly threw on some clothes before letting him out. There was no need to flaunt myself in front of Bill. Ansel did his business quickly, and I gave him a treat when we went back inside.

My stomach growled when I went to the kitchen, so I started pulling things out to make some biscuits and gravy for everyone. I was just finishing up the gravy when Emma came into the kitchen.

"Good morning," I said. "How did you sleep?"

"Not well, dear. I can't keep my mind off of Niall. Have you gotten in contact with him yet?"

"No, unfortunately. His assistant said he was still out, but I sent him an e-mail."

I chose not to tell her about the cell number until I had a chance to talk to Eric about it. Emma didn't respond; she simply looked out the window thoughtfully. Everything was done a couple minutes later, so I fixed us both a plate, and we ate together. Pam came out a few minutes later, and fixed herself a plate. I went back to our bedroom to wake up Eric.

He was still sleeping, his arm outstretched over my side of the bed. I sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his back.

"Eric, wake up. I've got breakfast made," I said in his ear.

He only grunted in response.

"Come on. It's biscuits and gravy. Fresh coffee too," I said enticingly.

He rolled over that time, and peered up at me through half-closed eyes. "Is there sausage in the gravy?" He asked.

"Yes," I said with a laugh, and kissed him once.

He finally got up, put on a shirt, and used the bathroom before heading out to the kitchen. I had a plate full of food, and a cup of coffee waiting for him when he got there. Just as he sat down to eat, there was a knock on the front door. I got up to answer it, and as I walked through the living room, I saw a nice car parked in front of the house. Whoever it was began knocking again before I could get to the door.

"Hold on, I'm coming," I hollered.

I had to jump over a lazy Ansel to get to the door, and when I opened it my jaw dropped.

"Niall," I breathed.

Recognition crossed his features, and I knew he recognized me, but he didn't take the time to re-familiarize himself, or ask why I was there. He got right to the point.

"Where's Emma?"

* * *

**I would say I'm sorry for leaving it there, but really... I'm not. *evil laugh* It's really not that bad of a cliffy. :)**

**So up next, we'll have the reunion of Niall and Emma, and Niall will finally meet his now-grown-up children and do some explaining. **

**I'm not sure when the next update will be. We got my sister married today, and her and her new husband are off on their honeymoon! Yay! But, I'm moving tomorrow, so I won't have any time to write. Hopefully once things settle down for me I can get back into a regular schedule of writing. **

**As always, I freaking love you guys! Thank you so much for reading my stories. It means the world to me that you all enjoy them :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey ladies! I'm sorry for being an uber-sucky updater lately. I'm all moved, got a new job, and am finally settling in a bit. I hope I can make it up to you with lemons!**

* * *

Chapter 27

"She's in the kitchen," I said, and suddenly his look of fierce confidence turned into one of absolute nervousness.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing towards the house.

"Of course," I said, and stepped aside to let him in. He stopped just inside the door, and after letting Ansel in I shut it, and gestured for him to follow me.

My brain was freaking out, flying in several different directions, and wondering what was going to happen when Niall and I got to the kitchen. As I walked into the kitchen, Eric looked up and asked, "Who was at the door?"

"Niall," I answered, and Eric dropped his fork in shock. Pam looked just as shocked, and almost dropped her coffee mug. Emma turned white, and sat stock still. I took a few more steps into the room, and Niall walked in behind me. He looked right at Emma, and they simply stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, seemingly having some sort of silent conversation. Then they seemed to break out of a trance, and Niall slowly walked to her side, fell to his knees, and wrapped his arms around her.

Eric, Pam, and I all watched in silence as Niall and Emma had their reunion. They began speaking frantically to each other in Swedish, and I was thankful that I didn't understand the language, because it seemed like such a private moment between them. I walked over to Eric, and sat down next to him. He immediately took my hand, and I squeezed his.

Niall and Emma broke apart and stood up. They both had wet faces from their tears. Emma looked at all of us and smiled. Pam stood up, and Niall looked at her. I remembered that he'd never met Pam, and they both looked nervous as hell. Niall uncertainly walked over to her, and gently tucked some hair behind her ear.

"You are lovely. You look just like your mother did when she was your age," he said, and then turned to Eric and I. Eric squeezed my hand tightly as Niall walked over to us. He put his hand on Eric's shoulder, and said, "And you look just like me."

Eric nodded, and then said, "Would you like to explain to us why you weren't around to see us come to look like this?"

Niall immediately removed his hand, and went to stand by Emma again. "Yes, I do have some explaining to do."

"Let's go into the living room," Emma said, and she took Niall's hand and led him out of the room. Pam looked dazed for a second, but followed, and Eric stared straight ahead, not moving at all.

"Eric," I whispered. "Come on."

"She looked so happy," he whispered, referring to his mother's smile. He turned and looked me in the eyes. "I thought I had seen my mother happy before, but now that I've seen her truly smile... Sookie, I promise I will never let you be unhappy."

I reached up and cupped his face with my hand. "I know, and I'll never let you be unhappy either."

He bent and pressed his lips gently to mine for a brief second, and then we went into the living room. Pam was already sitting on the couch, and Emma and Niall were occupying the recliners. Eric and I joined Pam on the couch, and Eric still had my hand firmly clasped in his.

"I don't know where to begin," Niall said.

"How about at the part where you took off?" Eric asked quietly.

I could almost see Niall flinch, but he took a deep breath and began talking anyway.

"When your mother discovered she was pregnant the first time, I was away on an assignment. I didn't call, or send a letter because I was immature. I justified it to myself by thinking that I was protecting her by not contacting her because of Marcus, but that's not true. I was hurt that she didn't ask me to stay, and I reacted badly. When I came back to find her with a tiny baby... I knew it was mine, and I knew I had screwed up by not being there. I still tried to take the two of you away, but it was too late. It almost killed me to watch Emma go back to Marcus every day, but it was my own fault that it had to happen."

He looked at Eric before continuing. "I loved you very much, Eric. You were such a good child. When your mother found out she was pregnant with Pam, I knew I had to do something." He looked at the floor, refusing to look anyone in the eye. "I didn't want Marcus raising another one of my children, so I went to him, and without thinking, I told him that there was no way he would claim the next child, and that I was taking Emma and Eric away with me. I tried to tell him that he could divorce her, claiming infidelity, but he said he wouldn't let himself look that stupid. He very plainly informed me that I would go away, and never contact his wife again, or he would make damn sure that she never had the second child."

Emma audibly gasped at his confession, and raised her hand to cover her mouth. Niall reached over and took her hand in his, and began to rub soothing circles on the back of it with his thumb. Then he continued.

"I knew from the look in his eyes that he was telling the truth. I'll admit that it was cowardly of me to leave, and I should have left a letter, or placed a phone call, but every time I picked up a pen or the phone, I would think of my unborn child, and I knew I couldn't take that risk. So I left. I thought that if I made something of myself, then I could come back and take you all away. All I had to do was bide my time."

"So what happened," Eric interrupted. "When did it go from biding your time, to forgetting about us all together?"

"I never forgot any of you. I thought of you all every single day, and everything I did was for you. I went away, and I worked hard to become what I am. I came back when I had saved enough money to take you all away and hide you, but when I saw the three of you in the park playing, I couldn't bring myself to do it. Like I said, I was a coward."

He paused, and turned to Emma before continuing. "I thought that you would hate me for leaving. I had no idea if Marcus had told you anything about our meeting. He could have told you that he paid me off for all I knew. I was afraid that you wouldn't want me anymore. You looked so happy playing with our children, and even though it hurt to walk away, I knew they would have the best of everything, and I thought that was what would be best for you and for our children."

"It wasn't," Pam interjected. "I'm aware that you probably realize that now, but damn it, it wasn't for the best. I wanted a father that loved me, and called me his little princess, and warned me about boys. I wanted parents that loved each other. I got a father that pretended I didn't exist, and parents that couldn't stand to be in the same room with each other. I would have been happier in a shack in the country with no money, as long as we were all together."

"I'm sorry," Niall whispered with tears in his eyes.

"How did you find us?" I asked.

"I kept up with the Swedish newspapers, and I saw what happened. I was furious. I knew that Marcus was a bad person, but I had no idea he was physically abusive, and if I had, I would have gotten all of you out of here, consequences be damned. I didn't see the articles until a couple of days after they came out, and I immediately tried to find out where you all had gone, but I didn't have any luck. A couple of days ago, I was in a bookstore, and I came across one of your novels, Eric. It said you lived in Texas, but when I tried to get an address, I came up empty, and then I saw the interview the two of you did. I contacted the interviewer, and he said that your location was to be kept confidential, so I bribed him. It worked. As soon as I got the address, I was on my way here."

"Why did you come? Now it's all easy for you. We're grown up, Mom is dying, and you don't have to deal with Marcus," Eric said with an edge in his voice. He was still angry, and also still gripping my hand... tightly.

"All I ask is that you consider what I told you. If you and Pam don't want me in your lives, then I will understand, but there is no way in hell that I am leaving your mother again," he said with conviction, and then looked apprehensively at Emma. "Unless you don't want me here."

"I want you here," Emma said, and then turned to Eric and Pam. "I don't want you two to judge him too harshly. I want him here, so he will be here. I can't tell you to love him, or to call him your father, but I can't explain how happy it would make me to see you try."

Eric and Pam nodded, and then Pam said she was going to go see Sam. She had a lot to discuss with him, I'm sure. She gave Emma a hug goodbye, nodded at Niall, and squeezed Eric's shoulder before taking Eric's car to see Sam.

"Who is Sam?" Niall asked.

"Her boyfriend," Emma answered.

"Is he a good man?"

"Yes, he is," I answered before Eric could let out the rude response I knew was brewing inside him.

"Sookie, forgive me for ignoring you. I was more than a little shocked to see you here," Niall said with a relaxed smile.

"I'm sure you were. I just found out the connection myself last night," I explained.

"May I ask how you came to be here?"

Emma spoke up, "Sookie and Eric are engaged."

I looked at Niall, and saw a look of pure happiness briefly cross his features. It was the same look I saw on Emma's face when she found out about Eric and me getting engaged. I knew that he was feeling quite happy to hear something like this about his son. It was probably his first real "family" moment in over twenty years.

He looked at Eric and said, "I have known Sookie for about five years now, and I know that she is a good woman. You've chosen well, Eric."

I knew that Niall meant well, and his words warmed my heart, but I also knew that Eric wouldn't take it as well as I had. I was right.

"Where do you get off trying to approve of who I've chosen to be my wife?" He said angrily, standing up as he spoke. Niall looked upset, and Emma looked disappointed. I stood, and grabbed Eric's arm.

"Go put some shoes on and meet me outside," I said firmly, and he knew from the tone of my voice not to argue. After he walked down the hall to get his shoes, I turned to Niall and Emma. "Please don't take it personally right now. He's got a lot of emotion built up when it comes to this. I'll talk to him."

Emma stood up and hugged me. "Thank you, Sookie."

When she released me I said, "Pam probably won't be back for a while, and I'll keep Eric out for a couple of hours. You two should take the time to talk. I'm sure you both have some questions for each other."

"Thank you," Niall said as he stood up, and then he enveloped me in a tight hug. "Please help him understand," he whispered.

"I'll do my best," I whispered back.

Eric came back into the living room as Niall was releasing me, took one look at us standing there, and promptly walked out the front door without a word. Emotions be damned, he was being plain rude.

"I'll see you two in a bit," I said, and then followed Eric out the door.

He was pacing the sidewalk when I got outside, and I walked right past him without saying anything. I knew he was following me, but I refused to say anything until we got to the pond, and by the time we got there, he looked like such a crestfallen, emotional mess that I almost reconsidered yelling at him.

"I am so disappointed in you," I said as he sat on the ground while I paced in front of him. "He came as soon as he knew where she was. He put his life on hold to find you. Yes, he made a mistake all those years ago, but he knows it, and he admits it. I understand why you are upset, I do, but damn it Eric, he loves you. He is your father, and he loves you."

I got on my knees in front of him, and took his face in my hands. "I'm not saying that you should forget about the hurt he's caused, but for him, for yourself, and for your mother, you need to forgive him."

He nodded slowly and put his hands on my hips, silently asking if I would hug him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and squeezed him as tightly as I could.

"I just want Mom to be at peace when she dies. I saw how happy she is with him, and I'm afraid that he'll take that away again. I can't bring myself to trust him yet," he said while keeping me enveloped tightly in his arms.

"I don't expect you to trust him. He has to earn that, you can't just give it to him," I said, and then pulled back to look him in the eyes. "I will say that I do trust him, if that's worth anything. I've only met him a handful of times, but I know I can trust him."

"It is worth something," he said. "I'm sorry I acted that way. I'm just so…"

"I know," I said. "Just keep an open mind, and try to think of your mother. You know it would hurt her to see you reject your father. I don't think Niall is going to push himself off on you, but he will make himself available to you. He wants to be here for you. I'm not saying you have to let him in so soon, but please don't shut him out."

"I won't," he said, and then pulled me back to him for another hug. "How long are we staying down here?"

"A couple hours at least. Pam has your car, and I'm sure your mother and Niall want to be by themselves for a while."

I suddenly felt his hot breath at my neck, and then his lips pressed against my skin. "I love you so much," he whispered.

"Eric, you can't seriously be thinking about _that_ right now," I said as I pulled away from him and stood up.

"Of course I am," he said as he stood up as well, and leered at me in a predatory manner. "I'm having one of those life-changing things. You know, the ones that make you want to feel alive through sex."

"That's not how that works."

He kept taking steps towards me as I took steps back. He had a humorous glint in his eye, and I knew he just wanted to forget about everything for a short while, so I did the first fun thing that popped into my head.

"You'll have to catch me first," I said, and then turned on my heel and ran as fast as I could. I heard him let out that deep, wonderful laughter of his, and then he was chasing after me. I quickly shot off into the sparse woods, and took a shortcut to the other side of the pond. Playing with Jason in the field when I was younger was giving me quite the advantage. Eric was fast, but he didn't know where all the holes and stumps were, and I was able to hide quickly.

I stayed in one spot and tried to control my breathing while waiting for him to come closer. I heard him calling my name, and I had the briefest thought of feeling like Little Red Riding Hood hiding from the big bad wolf. Then I had a thought of a trail of breadcrumbs made out of clothes.

I quickly removed my bra and hung it on the tree I was hiding behind, and then I ran a little further away, and pulled off my light sweater, leaving me only in my pants and one of Eric's shirts. Eric's shirt was long enough to cover all the good parts, so I went a little further, and removed my pajama pants, and then I listened for Eric.

"Sookie, I found your bra," he called out, and I had to stifle a giggle.

I went ahead and pulled my panties off, and took off a little deeper into the foliage. All I was wearing was Eric's shirt, and my tennis shoes. I noticed that I had come almost full circle, and was quite near our tree behind the pond, so I hung my panties on a branch that would be at Eric's eye level, and then went to stand by our tree.

I only had to wait a minute or so before I heard him find my underwear. He let out an audible groan, and then a few seconds later he was in front of me. He had been collecting my clothes as he went, and dropped all of them in a pile next to him before attacking me. He had me pinned between his hard body and the hard tree. My legs immediately opened, and he pressed himself against me. I groaned at the feel of his arousal through the thin cotton pants he had on.

He quickly pulled off his shirt, and then his mouth was on my neck, sucking and nipping at the sensitive flesh. I hitched my leg up around his upper thigh, and pressed against him. He rhythmically moved his hips, rubbing me in just the right way, and after only a few seconds, I was more than ready for him to take me.

My hand went down between us, and untied the drawstring of his pants. I loosened them, and then my hand slipped into them. I wrapped my fingers around his extremely hard erection, and began to slowly stroke him.

"Sookie," he groaned out, and then kissed me full on the mouth. His tongue worked against mine in an urgent rhythm, and I lowered my leg so I could work his pants down to his knees. As soon as they were out of the way, he picked me up, and pressed me against the tree at just the right height. My arms wrapped around his neck tightly, and my legs did the same to his waist. His hand went down between us and he positioned himself at my entrance.

"So wet for me, Sookie," he whispered before thrusting in to the hilt in one swift motion.

I let out an incoherent noise of pure pleasure, and immediately began grinding my pelvis against him. "Only for you, Eric," I managed to groan out, and it was the truth. He was the only man that had ever affected me so much in that way. He grunted at my words, and began to thrust into the movements of my hips. It took us a couple of minutes, but eventually we found the perfect rhythm for up-against-a-tree sex, and it was wonderful. His groin rubbed against my clit with every deep thrust, and I was beginning to feel that magnificent pressure low in my stomach.

"Faster, Eric," I moaned. "I want you to come with me."

He tightened his hold on my hips, and began thrusting faster and harder. I was so close, and trying desperately to hold back until he was ready. Suddenly he cried out, and I felt him expand and pulse deep within me as he came. At the feel of his release I let go, and my muscles clenched tightly around him.

"Sookie," he groaned out as I rocked my hips through my orgasm. I stayed wrapped around him as I came down from my high, placing small kisses on Eric's neck as our breathing returned to normal. He turned around, and sat down with his back against the tree without pulling out of me. I made to stand up, but he held me tighter to him.

"Don't move," he said. "Please. I just want to stay inside you for a while. I love the way you feel around me."

I thought it seemed a little strange at first, but I stayed anyway. I lay my head on his shoulder, and listened while he hummed gently. I was beginning to get a cramp in my leg so I shifted a bit, and when I did I felt him begin to grow hard once more. I sat up to look at him, and he smirked back at me.

"How the hell is that possible?" I asked.

His smirk grew, and he gripped my hips and began to rotate them. Soon enough he was fully ready again, and with the spots he was hitting, so was I. He leaned forward and began placing warm, wet kisses on my neck.

"This is what you do to me, Sookie," he whispered breathily into my ear. "Only you."

I moaned and arched my back, clenching my internal muscles around him as I did. He let out a groan and began rocking my hips in time with his. We kept the slow pace, and I was grateful for the soft grass that had grown in below the tree. I felt my release steadily building, and I began to move a little faster. Eric pressed me closer to him, and bucked his hips into mine, managing to hit that sweet spot inside me as he did.

"Come with me," he groaned, and thrust faster.

"Eric," I moaned as I began to spasm around him.

"That's it, Sookie," he said, and thrust harder into me, rubbing against my clit as he did, and causing my orgasm to hit me fully.

"Oh god, yes!" he shouted, and I felt his hot release deep inside me.

I kept moving my hips slowly until we came down again. I kissed his forehead gently, and he let out a contented sigh.

"You're amazing," he breathed.

"So are you," I said, and finally stood up. My legs felt like jelly, and I almost fell back down. Eric laughed at me. "Shut it. This is your fault."

He stood up and pulled me into his arms. "I love you," he said.

"Then pick me up and carry me to the spring. We need to get cleaned up."

He smirked, kicked off his pants and shoes, pulled my shirt over my head, and then picked me up and walked me to the spring. I laughed the whole way. The spring was fresh water, and its deepest point was in the middle of the trees, so I knew nobody would see us. Eric walked us to the middle of the clear, flowing water, and set me down. The water was still a bit cold, and only came to the middle of my calves, but it would work for a quick clean up.

"You're so beautiful like this," Eric said as we cleaned ourselves off.

"Sweaty and sticky?" I asked.

He let out a laugh, "Yes, because I know I was the one to make you sweaty and sticky, but also because of the look on your face. You always look so relaxed and content after a few good orgasms."

"And you always look cocky as hell."

He laughed again. "As I should. I love knowing that I am the one to have given you such pleasure. And knowing that I'm the only one who ever will again, well that just gets my fire burning."

He began to walk towards me, so I began walking backwards. "Oh no you don't. We just did it twice, we're not doing it again."

He grinned, and kept coming. I giggled, ran out of the stream, grabbed my shoes and took off back towards the pond. Eric didn't stop chasing me until we reached the tree. I quickly pulled on my clothes, and Eric did the same. When we were dressed again, Eric wrapped his arms around me, and began running his fingers through my hair.

"Thank you for taking my mind off of everything for a while," he said. "I truly can't wait to make you my wife."

I wrapped my arms around his waist, and laid my head on his chest. "I can't wait to make you my husband."

"Do you think this is how Mom feels about Niall?" He asked.

"I'm sure she does. It's too bad they can't legally get married."

"Maybe we could have a ceremony for them. It doesn't have to be legal, but I'm sure they would enjoy something like that."

I pulled back to look at him. "Now that's more like it. I love the idea, and I think they'll love it too."

"I'm going to try," he said. "But I'm not calling him "Dad" okay?"

"Okay," I laughed.

"Let's head back up to the house," he said as he released me, and took my hand.

I was feeling quite happy as we walked towards the house, and as we got closer I heard an ambulance siren. It kept getting louder, and I knew it was coming through town, which was pretty rare in our small community. I briefly hoped that whoever it was coming for would be alright, and then I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. Eric's hand gripped mine tighter, and I looked up to see the emergency vehicle pull into our drive.

"Mom," he said, and then let go of my hand and ran towards the house.

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***ducks***

**I really, honestly feel bad for this crap, I really do! Just don't go after FDM, my fudgeawesome beta, kay? This is all me :) And if it helps ease the pain any, this story is flowing really well for me right now, so updates may not take as long. **

**Also, this story is about done. Well, it's winding down now. I have the final arc in my head, and I've already written the final scene. *be's sad* I'm not sure exactly how may chapters are left because they'll end naturally, but it's several, not a few :)**

**But, that will give me time to write more Studybuddies! Also, I've started working on my contest fic expansion so I hope I can start getting that up soon :)**

**Pimpage time!**

**I'm serving as a judge in two awesome new contests! Please check them out and participate!**

http://www . fanfiction . net/u/2130969/Poppin_Cherries

http://www . fanfiction . net/~ericstravaganza


	28. Chapter 28

**Okay! No cliffies this time, I promise! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! **

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Chapter 28

When I saw that ambulance pull into our driveway, all I could think about was getting to Mom. I ran as fast as I could to the house, and followed the paramedics inside where Niall was sitting on the living room floor with Mom in his lap. She was unconscious, and as the paramedics put her on a stretcher, Niall filled them in on what happened.

"We were just talking, and she stood up, took a couple of steps and started to sway. She told me to get help and then she passed out. She has cancer," he told them in a shaky voice.

"Alright, one person rides in the ambulance," the medic said.

I was about to claim the seat, but one look at Niall told me he should have it. He was visibly shaking, and he looked so scared. I knew that if it were Sookie and I in this situation, I'd want that seat. I nodded to him, and he followed the medics out. Sookie came in the door after they exited, and immediately took my hand.

"Come on, Eric. We need to go get Pam and get to the hospital," she said in her soothing voice.

I numbly followed her out of the house, and got into my car. Sookie called Sam on the way to his house, and he told her he'd take Pam, so we headed on to the hospital. I was completely zoned out on the way there, and Sookie's hand never left mine. I snapped out of it when we parked, and only let go of Sookie's hand long enough to get out of the car, and took it again as we ran into the emergency room.

We were told to go to a waiting room, and Niall was the only other person there. He was sitting in a small chair and his head was in his hands.

"Niall," Sookie said gently, and he looked up. As soon as he looked at me he stood up and enveloped me in a tight hug. I was shocked, and didn't know what to do at first, and then Sookie took the hand she was holding, and slowly brought it around so that I was half-hugging him back. She let go of my hand, and took a step back, letting me get over this hurdle. I probably only thought about it for a couple of seconds, but as soon as I made the decision and wrapped my other arm around him something finally clicked. This was my father. My real father. He cared about me, and he cared about my mother. This was how a real father reacted when something like this happened.

"I'm sorry," I said, and he pulled back and put his hands on my shoulders.

"For what?" He said, and sat back down. I sat across from him.

"For the way I acted. I know you love Mom, and I can see that you love Pam and me as well. You feel guilty enough over the whole thing, and I don't need to add to it."

"Thank you," he said quietly.

I glanced around for Sookie, but didn't see her anywhere. I wondered where she went, but before I could go look for her she came into the room with Pam and Sam. Pam immediately came to me and gave me a hug and asked what we knew.

"Nothing right now," Niall answered. "As soon as they brought her in they told me to wait here."

Pam surprised me when she went to sit next to him, and then took his hand. He squeezed hers, and then looked at Sam. Pam remembered that Niall hadn't met Sam yet. She stood up, still holding Niall's hand, and brought him over to where Sam was standing.

"Sam, this is my father, Niall. Dad, this is my boyfriend Sam," Pam said, and my jaw dropped.

I wasn't angry that Pam called Niall "Dad," and the fact that I wasn't angry about it surprised me. Almost like a flip switched, I was suddenly thinking of Niall as "dad" in my thoughts. It didn't feel weird at all. I thought it would have taken much longer to think of him that way but, in a way, he'd already proven that he was worthy of the title.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Sir," Sam said as he shook Dad's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too."

Sookie came and sat next to me, and took my hand once more. Dad, Pam, and Sam all sat down as well, and we waited. Sam and Sookie left briefly to get us all coffee and sandwiches, insisting that we needed something in our stomachs. Pam and I didn't eat much of ours, and Dad wouldn't touch his. After about an hour and a half of waiting, a doctor finally came into the room. We all stood up and listened to what she had to say.

She told us that Mom was awake and asking for us, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Then she went on to explain all the technical reasons why Mom had collapsed. She told us that it would be wise to get a home nurse for her since she seemed so adamant to not fight the cancer, or end up in the hospital. Dad seemed to stiffen when the doctor revealed that Mom had chosen not to fight, and I gathered that she hadn't told him yet. We were told we could go see her, but not everyone at once. Pam and Sam went first while the rest of us waited outside the room.

"Don't be too hard on her about not fighting it," I told Dad.

"How could she not want to fight it?" He asked.

"We've tried to convince her, but she's had a hard life. She said she just wants to pass knowing that her kids are happy. If you think you can talk some sense into her, then do it, but she's stubborn."

He let out a dry laugh, and then said, "I know."

Pam and Sam came out a few minutes later, and Sookie and I went in. Mom looked exhausted, as though she'd been kept awake for days, and was desperately fighting sleep. Sookie and I both hugged her, and I asked her what happened.

"I don't know. Niall and I were talking, and I stood up to go grab something, and I fainted. The next thing I knew I was in an ambulance, and then I passed out again. The doctor said I'd need a home nurse."

"We'll get you one, don't even worry about that," Sookie told her.

"Mom… Dad's really worried," I told her.

She smiled at hearing me refer to him that way. "I'm sure he is. Is he outside?"

"Yes, and we're going to let him come in in a moment, but you have to talk to him about all this soon. He didn't even know about you not fighting it. He's not too happy about that."

She didn't say anything, she just looked extremely sad. I wasn't all too sure I wanted to know what was going through her head at that moment.

"We're going to go and let Niall come in now, okay?" Sookie said, and Mom nodded. "Try to get some rest."

We left her room, and Dad stood up quickly.

"How is she?" He asked.

"She's tired," I told him. He nodded, and went inside, shutting the door quietly behind him. Sookie and I talked briefly to the doctor again, and then went outside to find Pam and Sam. They were sitting on one of the benches talking, and stood up as we came out.

"They're keeping her overnight, and I can come get her tomorrow. She's probably just going to rest now so if you two want to go, then you could go ahead," I told them.

"Okay," Pam said, and gave Sookie and I both a hug.

"If you need anything, give me a call," Sam told me, and shook my hand. I told him I would, and then he and Pam left.

Sookie and I sat down on the bench, and I let out a long breath and wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I think I will be. I wasn't expecting something like this so soon."

"Maybe Niall can convince her to fight it."

"I hope he can, but I'm not holding my breath," I said. "Come on, let's go back in and see if he wants to stay the night."

We went back into the hospital, and as we walked up the hall where Mom's room was, we heard loud voices. They weren't loud enough that the nurses were going to get onto them, but it was obvious that Mom and Dad were arguing. Sookie pulled on my arm and shook her head, not wanting to eavesdrop, but I had to hear even though I knew it was wrong. They were speaking in Swedish anyway, and I knew Sookie wouldn't understand.

"How could you decide not to fight?" came Dad's slightly angry voice.

"Tell me what there is in my life to fight for," said Mom, and even from outside the room I could tell she was also riled up. I'd never really heard her angry before.

"Our children for one. Yourself…." He paused, and then said so quietly I had to strain to hear him, "Fight for me."

It was silent for almost a full minute before Mom began to speak. "Niall, I love you. You know that, but I need you to understand something. When you left, I was devastated. I didn't know where you had gone, if you were okay, if you were ever coming back… I wanted to die, and the only thing that kept me going was taking care of our children. But if I had never met you… if you had never given me those two wonderful children, I may have chosen to be a coward much sooner."

I almost gasped at her confession. I knew things were bad, but to think that my mother may have been depressed enough to… No. I wasn't going to think about that. I couldn't.

"Emma…"

"Wait. When I found out I had cancer, I did fight. I fought with everything I had in me for our children. I couldn't leave them with Marcus. I overcame it, and now I just don't know if I can do it again. My children are free of him, and they are both happy. They're starting lives and families of their own, and I feel like I've done what I was meant to. Why stay here any longer?"

"For me! Stay for me. Please, Emma. I want a second chance. I want a chance that I don't deserve, but if I can have it I won't mess it all up again. Let me be here for you. Let me love you. I can't live without you."

"But you did. For over twenty years you did…" She couldn't hide the sadness in her voice.

"No… it wasn't like that. I knew you were still out there. I knew you were raising our children. I existed, but it wasn't living by any means. I thought about all three of you every single day. Everything I did was for the three of you, and I was too much of a coward to take you away. I thought it was for the best, and I was wrong. You may think this is for the best, but you're wrong. You can't give up."

By the end of his speech I could tell that he was either crying or close to it. I decided that I had heard enough, and finally let Sookie drag me away. We went outside again to sit, and when I wrapped my arms around her I made sure to hold her tightly and tell her how much I loved her.

"Are they going to be okay?" she asked.

"I hope so."

We sat there for probably thirty minutes before Dad came out. He looked tired, but he didn't look angry, which I took as a good sign. As soon as he spotted us he came over, and we stood up.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

He nodded and smiled, let out a sigh of relief, and said, "She's going to fight. She's resting now, but we told the doctor and he's going to start setting up appointments for her. We'll know more tomorrow."

I stood there in shock, while Sookie jumped in front of me to give him a big hug. I couldn't believe it. While she was hugging him I looked him in the eye, and said, "Thank you."

He nodded in return, and then Sookie released him. When she turned back to me she had tears in her eyes.

"One of you needs to call Pam and let her know," she said.

"I'll do it," I said.

Sookie and Dad went to sit down while I made the call to Pam. She was relieved.

"Do we need to pick you up on the way home?"

"No."

"When is Sam going to drop you off then?"

"He's… not…"

"Well then do you need me to come get you?" I asked again, feeling frustrated. "Oh…" I said as it finally sunk in.

She laughed and I quickly got off the phone. I did not need to know that my sister was doing… that. I went back to Sookie and asked my father if he wanted to come home with us.

"No, I think I'll stay here for the night. I don't want to leave her. We've been apart so long, I don't want to be away from her."

"Did you bring a suitcase with you, or a bag of clothes?" Sookie asked him.

"Yes, there's a bag in the trunk of my car."

"We'll bring it with us tomorrow so you can change."

"Thank you."

He gave us both a hug before going back inside, and then Sookie and I left to go home. I felt so much calmer and at peace knowing that my mother was going to fight the cancer. When we pulled into the drive, I took a deep breath and released it. Sookie turned to me, and ran her hand down my arm.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

I smiled. "Yes, I think it is."

"When is Pam coming back?"

"She's… not. That's all I'm saying. I don't want to think about her…"

"So we have the house to ourselves tonight?" she asked, effectively shutting me up, and pointing out an extremely important fact.

A slow grin stretched across my face, and within seconds we were scrambling out of the car and running into the house. Ansel wasn't anywhere to be seen, so he couldn't cockblock me this time. We tore each other's clothes off as we stumbled down the hallway and into our bedroom. We were naked by the time we got there, and I was ready to throw her on the bed and be a caveman, but she pushed me away.

"What's wrong?" I panted.

"Wait," she breathed, "wait."

"Why?"

"Come with me," she said, and took my hand.

"Where are we going?" I whined. Yes, I whined. I was about a minute away from having sex with the woman I love, and she decided to drag me down the hall. Of course I whined.

She giggled. "Quit whining. I want to take care of you tonight. You won't regret it."

I perked up then. She wanted to take care of me, which meant that I was probably going to be extremely relaxed in a few minutes. I was right. She took me downstairs and filled up the jaccuzi tub. Sookie told me to get in first, and then she got in behind me.

"This isn't fun, I can't touch you if you're back there," I complained.

"Shut it," she said, and grabbed the soap.

She lathered up her hands, and began washing my back and shoulders, massaging my muscles. It felt so good. I began to relax under her touch, and finally understood why she wanted to do this. Sure, sex would have relieved my stress and relaxed me, but this was a much better way to go about it, and it would leave me even more relaxed in the end.

After she worked all the tension out of the muscles of my back, she washed my hair. I actually found it really erotic that Sookie was behind me. I felt her breasts pressed against my back, and knew that her nipples were hard. When she finished with my hair, she sat back down, and wrapped her legs around my waist. She rested her cheek against my back as her hand roamed over my chest and stomach. I ran my hands up and down her legs as we stayed like that, and eventually I felt an extra wetness at my back, and heard Sookie sniffling. Immediately, I pulled away and turned to face her.

"What is it?" I asked as I wiped the tears from her cheeks with my thumbs.

"I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be relaxing you, and this isn't helping," she cried.

"It's okay, just tell me why you're crying," I said softly, not wanting to upset her more.

"I just… I can't stop thinking about your mom and dad. They love each other so much. I mean, she wanted to let go until he came back. That's how much she loves him. I can't lose you, Eric. I just can't."

As she spoke, she escalated into sobbing, and by the end of it I had my arms around her, and was rocking her back and forth.

"You won't, Sookie. You won't. We're getting married. We'll have a family. We'll never spend another night apart," I said as I pulled away to look her in the eyes. "What happened to my parents will never, ever happen to us. I promise."

She nodded and wrapped her arms around me again. "I can't wait to be married to you," she whispered.

"Then why are we?" I asked before I realized it.

"Why are we what?"

"Waiting. I know we've never really talked about what we wanted in a wedding, so I don't know how long it's going to take to plan, but I want to marry you as soon as I can."

Her face lit up with her smile. "What are your preferences?"

"I don't care. As long as you're there, I'm good. What about you? Do you have dreams of the big white wedding and all that?"

"No. Well, at one time I did, but I don't want that anymore. I want you and me, your parents and sister, my parents and my brother, maybe Amelia, and someone to officiate. We'll pick a spot in the field and get married."

I smiled back at her. That was just the type of wedding I wanted. Small, with only those closest to us there. It was perfect.

"So all we need is to fly Amelia and Jason out here, give your parents time to get here, get a marriage license, a dress and a suit, and we're golden."

"Sounds perfect to me. I'll start making calls tonight."

For some reason, knowing that Sookie would actually be my wife soon relaxed me more than anything. I convinced her to let me wash her hair, and then we got out of the tub. Sookie took my hand and led me back to our bedroom again, where she pushed me into a sitting position on the bed, and then removed her towel to dry my hair with. When she felt it was dry enough, she dropped the towel, and bent to kiss me.

"How about we get back to relaxing?" she asked.

"Sounds good to me," I said.

"Lay on your stomach," she told me, so I stood up, dropped my towel, and lay down on the bed. I rested my head on my arms as she grabbed her lotion.

She climbed up on the bed and straddled my thighs. I heard her put some lotion in her hands, and then she began to give me the best massage I've ever had. She started at my neck, working her way down shoulders and back, and finally my lower back and butt. Yes, she gave me a butt massage, and it felt great. When she finished up, she got up on her knees and told me to turn over. I did as she asked, and she straddled my thighs again. I sat up and kissed her lips softly.

"Thank you for the massage," I said with a grin. I really did feel relaxed.

"You're welcome. Now how about I relax you in a different way," she said as she reached down between us and grasped my erection.

"That sounds good to me," I breathed out as she stroked me. I used one hand to make sure she was ready, as the other wrapped around her back. I ran my fingers along her wet folds, eliciting a gasp from her. Before I could do anything more, she raised herself a bit, positioned me at her entrance, and slowly lowered herself again.

We both groaned and as she covered me, and I attacked her neck with my lips. Her back arched, and her arms wrapped around my neck as she slowly rocked her hips. I brought my legs up and crossed them underneath her.

"Wrap your legs around me, Sookie," I said.

She did, and I felt myself slip into her a bit more. She moaned, and captured my lips with hers. I put my hands on her hips and helped her keep the pace of her rocking, and after a few minutes of that I wanted more. I grasped her around the waist, and flipped us over so that I was on top of her. I kept the slow pace we had going for a while longer, thoroughly enjoying the sharp noises she mad every time my groin rubbed her clit. As I sped up, she kept my pace, meeting each thrust and trying to pull me deeper with her muscles.

"Faster, Eric," she moaned as her nails dug into my ass.

I complied, and increased the pace even more. Before long I could feel her start to tighten around me, so I worked her even faster. She cried out as she came, and my whole body jerked as I came with her, calling out her name, and pushing into her a few extra times.

I collapsed on top of her, completely spent and relaxed. She giggled, and shoved me off.

"You really have to learn to fall to the side. You're not a teenager anymore," she laughed.

I laughed with her. "What are we going to do with the rest of the evening?"

"I'm going to start making phone calls about the wedding. Why don't you write some?"

"Yeah, I really need to write. Are you going to tell your parents now? I kind of want to be there when you tell your mom."

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe I still haven't told her yet. Here," she said, and grabbed her phone. She dialed the number, and put it on speaker.

"We're really going to tell your mother that we're engaged while we're lying in bed. Naked. Just after having sex."

She laughed. "Yes, yes we are."

"Hi Sookie," her mom answered.

"Hi Mom! I have you on speaker. Eric's here too," Sookie said.

"Hello Mrs. Stackhouse," I said.

"Hi there, Eric. Please call me Michelle," she said sweetly. I loved Sookie's parents. They were off-the-wall nuts sometimes, but they were nice.

"Mom, is Dad around?"

"Yes, he's right here."

"Could you put it on speaker? I want to tell you both something."

"Just a second," she said, and got it turned on. "Okay, he can hear you now."

"Hi daddy!" Sookie said. I hadn't realized she was a daddy's girl.

"Hey baby girl. What's this news you have?"

"Eric and I are engaged!"

Her mother squealed, and her father said, "Damn it Michelle, that's my ear you just screamed in."

Sookie and I laughed and waited.

"Oh sweetie, I'm so happy! Have you two set a date? Have you booked the church? Oh goodness, I need to come back and help you plan!"

"Slow down, Mom. We don't have a date yet, but it's going to be soon. We want to do it as soon as everyone can get here. How close are you two?"

"We can be back in a couple of days if we need to," Corbett said.

"Great! I need to call Amelia and Jason and see how soon they can get here, and then we'll let you know."

"That'll be fine sweetpea," he said.

"You're not having a big wedding?" Michelle asked, sounding sad.

"We don't want a big wedding. It's just going to be our close family and friends, and we're having it in the field."

"Why on earth would you do that?" Michelle asked.

"It's a long story, Mom. Maybe I'll tell you someday."

Shortly after that we got off the phone with her parents, and then Sookie called Amelia and Jason. After talking to them, we figured everyone could be here in about a week. She said she might have to pull a few strings on the license, but if we went tomorrow to do the paperwork it shouldn't be a problem.

I wrote for a while, and Sookie began looking at dresses online. She said she didn't find anything she cared for, so she would probably take Pam and go shopping for one in a few days.

She told me that if I just wanted to wear my Gucci suit, she was fine with that. She even said I didn't need to wear a tie. I was definitely okay with the idea. If a man can get out of buying clothes, he will.

We made some supper after a while, and watched a movie while we ate. After doing the dishes, and letting Ansel out once more, we went to bed where we made love once more before drifting off to sleep, tangled up in each other.

* * *

**YAY! They're gonna get married! w00t! I swear, there's probably not going to be anymore angst in this story. Well... an eensy bit, but just the kind that makes you sad for a few minutes and only lasts for a couple paragraphs :)**

**A little announcement- My story is a finalist in the Eric and his Great Pumpkin contest! I'm really honored to even have made the cut, so please go and read all the entries and vote for your favorites! If you haven't already, that is :) **

_http://www . fanfiction . net/~EricandhisGreatPumpkin_

**Also, please go check out the stories in the Poppin' Cherries contest and leave the first-time writers some review love!**

_http://www . fanfiction . net/u/2130969/Poppin_Cherries_

**One last thing... I've published a new story called Never Say Never. It's going to be an angsty story, and I'm really nervous about it. If you think you might enjoy it, please go check it out and let me know what you think!**

**Okay, all that said, what did you think of this chapter, and what are you looking forward to in chapters to come? Hopes? Expectations? Let me know!**


	29. Chapter 29

**SQUEEE!!! THE WEDDING!!!**

**Kay, I'm done... Read on!**

**P.S. This chapter is dedicated to Northwoman, who always asked about Eric's books. Girl, you're finally getting your answer ;)**

* * *

Chapter 29

A week later things had changed, a lot. Eric and I had our marriage license, and I found the perfect dress. My parents were home for the wedding, and Amelia and Jason were arriving the next day. Eric asked to invite his friend Clancy, and told me that he was the one that told him about the house. He said they mostly communicated through e-mail a lot and that Clancy was the closest he had to a best friend. I was completely okay with it, and Clancy and his wife Felicia were also arriving the next day.

Niall and Emma had returned from the hospital, and Emma in particular was feeling much better already. Fighting seemed to agree with her. Niall was feeling better too, and let's just say that after over twenty years of celibacy the two of them were getting very reacquainted, and Eric and I were both looking forward to them moving out.

Since Emma wanted to remain close to her children, Niall was looking at houses in town to rent until she was well enough to travel with him. They were more than welcome to stay with us until then, but had both expressed an interest in being on their own.

Pam had more or less moved in with Sam. I had lunch with them the day Pam and I found my wedding dress, and while she was in the bathroom he told me he was going to marry her. I've never seen him so serious. He was deeply in love, and I couldn't have been happier for him.

Eric was making strides with his next book, and said he was nearing the end. He still refused to tell me anything about the plot, but I could guess now that I had read his first three.

The day after his mother came home from the hospital, I asked him for copies of his books. He didn't say anything. He simply grinned widely and handed me three books from one of his shelves. I started in right away, and practically devoured them. The way he wrote just sucked me in. There was something special about knowing that this was Eric's heart and soul I was reading, and I refused to be bothered for two days until I completed them.

His books were a series about a man named Sven and the hardships he had in his family life, despite being a part of high-society. Woven into the story was a clever mystery with Sven ultimately solving it. The character of Sven felt familiar right away, and I quickly realized that he was Eric. The character went through many of the things that Eric had. I cried through the worst parts his life, knowing that Eric had endured those hardships, especially when Sven cut himself off from his family. As soon as I read that part, I went to Eric and hugged him until I wasn't sad anymore. He seemed to understand, and simply whispered to me over and over again that he was okay now. I had no idea how depressed he had actually been, and it scared the hell out of me. He had been very close to contemplating suicide, and the thought of him ever wanting to end it all… It was something I didn't want to think about ever again.

At the end of the third book, Sven was living in the country with his dog, and frequenting bars still. While it hurt to read about his sexual experiences with random women, I do believe it was good for me to see. I had promised him that his past wasn't an issue for me, and it really wasn't, but reading what it was actually like helped me accept that it was simply the past. His experiences with those women were completely unfeeling, and obviously an extremely temporary fix. He wanted to feel close to someone, to feel needed, but as soon as it was over, he couldn't bear to be around them. The intimacy was too fake.

Obviously, I was dying to read the next book. I wanted to know if Sven moved to another state, had dreams about a girl, and met her. I wanted to know if he was finally, truly happy.

I knew Eric was happy. I knew he was okay now, but reading it in book form was reassuring. It was almost like reading a diary, but way better because I got his impressions of other people as well. I was almost nervous for his impression of me. There was no point in dwelling on it though. The book wouldn't be out for another four months.

The day after I finished the books, Pam dragged me out of the house to find my wedding dress. Well, I shouldn't say dragged. I did go quite willingly. Finding your wedding dress is an exciting thing. We went to five different boutiques before I found it. I think I gasped when I saw it, because I could immediately see myself in it. The ivory dress was long and flowing with a plunging neckline, and an empire waist. There was just enough detail to make it elegant, but it was simple enough for the type of wedding we were having.

The best part was that it fit me perfectly. I wouldn't have to get it altered at all. Pam took one look at me in it and couldn't stop grinning.

"I'm so happy he found you," was all she said.

I bought the dress right away, and as soon as we got home with it Eric tried peeking. I gave him that whole speech about not seeing the dress before the wedding, and he rolled his eyes, but left it alone.

We managed to get our license without any issues, and the day that happened I sat Eric down to have a serious talk with him about the children issue.

"Hypothetically, if it is easy for me to get pregnant… how soon would you want to try having children?" I asked.

"I always thought I'd want to wait a few years before having any, but now I want them as soon as possible. I feel like I've wasted so much time. What are you suggesting?" he asked with a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"I feel the same way, and if we both agree, I'd like to stop taking my birth control pills," I said, and he smiled broadly. I took his hand, and continued, "You have to understand that it will probably take a while for it to happen, if it even does, but I have to try to have my own. Our own. I've talked to my doctor at length about this before, and if I manage to become pregnant, there's only a high risk of miscarriage or premature birth. She said there's not a lot of risk to me if either should happen, but it's definitely something they would monitor."

"Are you sure you want to go through that?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes. I have to try. I'll never forgive myself if I don't. I just have to know that you won't come to hate me if it doesn't work."

"I could never hate you, and especially not for that. Like I've said before; Family is what you make it, and as much as I'd like a child of our flesh and blood, if we can't make one then it's not meant to happen."

I silently led him to the bathroom, and we ceremoniously flushed my pills. It was a little silly, but I think we both needed to see it happen. As soon as they were gone, Eric kissed me and thanked me for giving it a chance, and when we made love that night, it was obvious what was on his mind. It was on mine as well.

Niall was going to take pictures for us at the wedding, as he was the only photographer that we knew that could do it on such short notice. I felt a bit bad about him basically working during his son's wedding, but he was the one to suggest it, and honestly, having Niall Brigant take our wedding photos… well, that was something many, many people would be envious of.

Eric and I also sat down with Niall and Emma to discuss his last name. While Eric didn't want any connections to Marcus, he felt that the Northman name was a part of him, as though it helped make him who he is today. He felt like he could take the name and make it stand for something greater. Niall understood, as did Emma, and I was thankful for that, because Eric was more than his name.

After Eric and I returned from our honeymoon, we were all going to look into getting his mother divorced from Marcus. Niall wanted to marry her, and while they both said they would be happy simply being together, we could all tell that they wanted to be husband and wife. It had been a long time coming for them, and I truly hoped it would all work out.

It was two days before the wedding and I was not, surprisingly, very nervous. It felt right. I was going to make Eric my husband, and I would be his wife.

Eric and I were on our way to pick up Amelia and Jason when he asked me if I wanted a bachelorette party.

"Hell no," I said with a laugh. "I don't see the point. And I'd also like to forego the tradition of sleeping apart the night before. We're not exactly the most traditional couple."

He smiled. "I'm glad you said that, because I don't want to sleep alone the night before marrying you. I sleep better with you in my bed as a general rule, and if you're not there then I'll have a shitty night of sleep, which will make me grumpy and irritable, both things I do not want to be on my wedding day."

I laughed hard at that. "You really thought that out, didn't you?"

"I had to have an argument ready if you decided you wanted to be alone tonight," he reasoned.

"They are very excellent points, but you don't have to worry about it. I already told Amelia that there wouldn't be anything like that, so we don't have to worry about being separated by force either."

At my words, he squeezed my hand.

"I'll have to hurt anyone that tries to separate us, even your maid of honor," he said.

I flashed him a smile and squeezed his hand back. I finally understood the depth of my importance to him after reading his books. I was his light, just as he was mine, only he had been in a darker place than me. He'd die before anything or anyone separated us. As would I. Though, either of us dying would separate us, but that's not the point.

Jason and Amelia met us in the front of the airport, and we quickly loaded them into the car. Jason called shotgun and bugged Eric the whole way back about the car. He had always wanted an old muscle car. I didn't mind though. I sat in the back with Amelia, filling her in on what was going to happen the next couple of days.

The wedding was the next day, and so far everyone was staying with us except for Pam. Amelia was going to take her room, and Jason would sleep on the couch. He refused to stay with our parents. After the ceremony we were all going to have a meal together, and then Eric and I were going to fly off to Hawaii. It was a bit cliché, but it was the only thing we could really do on such short notice. He promised me that we'd take a real honeymoon when things had calmed down a bit. He wanted to take me to Sweden the following summer for our anniversary. Hawaii was simply going to be a nice hotel room with a beautiful view. We both knew we wouldn't get a whole lot of sightseeing done while we were there.

When we got back to the house, I showed Amelia to her room, and then showed her my dress. She squealed and ooh'd over it appropriately, and then I took her and Jason out to introduce them to Emma, Niall, and Pam. We all had a late lunch that Niall had made, and then Eric and I left again to pick up Clancy and Felicia.

Clancy was a really nice guy, and his wife Felicia was gorgeous, but a bitch. She seemed stuck up, like she was bothered to have to come to our wedding on such short notice. When I told her the ceremony was taking place in the field, she turned her nose up in disgust. She would ask me questions about the wedding, and then after every answer she'd bring it back to her wedding, and go on and on about the lavish ceremony, the five hundred-plus guests, the expensive food… On and on… The more she talked about herself and her wedding, the happier I was that Eric and I had chosen to have a low-key, intimate ceremony. I mean, really? Would ninety-five percent of those five hundred-plus guests be there for them when they needed it? Were they on her Christmas card list? Did she talk to them on the phone often? What was the point?

Clancy and Felicia were staying at the nicest motel in town, which was where we dropped them off. Jason was going to pick them up in the morning. After we unloaded their stuff and got back into the car, Eric pulled me to him for a huge hug. I smiled against his chest, and hugged him back.

"Thank you for not being like her," he said with a smile.

"He must love her," I said, "because I don't know how else he could put up with someone like that."

"He does love her. Clancy's a good guy, and I'm sure he spoils the heck out of her, but I don't think he'd hesitate in putting his foot down if she got too out of hand."

"Would you ever put your foot down with me?" I asked innocently.

He laughed, "No, because I'd never need to. You're not that self-important and spoiled, and it's part of why I love you."

I gave him a kiss for that one, and then we headed home. By the time we got back, it was getting late, so we fixed a little supper and then headed for bed. I told Eric that we weren't going to have sex the night before the wedding, and he knew I was serious, so he didn't try anything. It was a little silly, but I actually wanted to keep him frisky the day of the wedding. Eric is a lot of fun when he's feeling frisky, and that was sure to keep the whole day interesting.

We lay in our bed talking for probably an hour or more before we finally fell asleep. We talked about a lot of things, but kids mostly. Eric was excited; I could see it in his eyes, and I had to warn him to calm down. I was truly afraid that things wouldn't work out and he'd end up resenting me for not being able to give him children. When we finally got off that subject, Eric pulled me tightly to him and rubbed my back soothingly.

"This time tomorrow you'll be Mrs. Northman," he whispered.

"And you'll be a husband," I whispered back. "Are you ready?"

He pulled me a little tighter against him. "More than you know."

EPOV

I woke up the morning of my wedding with a hard-on. It was pressed against my wife-to-be's ass, who I was spooning. She stirred, and when she moved against me I groaned.

"Mmm, haven't woken up to that in a while," she said and then giggled.

"Maybe that's because we haven't gone a night without sex in a while. The poor guy's not used to it. He's hurting. Doesn't that make you feel bad?"

She turned around in my arms, kissed my neck, and ran her hand down my chest.

"Yes, I do feel a bit bad. I wanted you to wait until tonight, but I feel responsible for your condition," she said as her hand trailed even lower. My breathing sped up as her hand slipped into the waistband of my flannel pajama pants. She brushed her fingers lightly against the base of my erection, and I pulled her closer to me. Just as she tightly gripped me in her hand, there was a loud knock at the door, quickly followed by it being thrown open.

"Fuck," I yelled, and while Sookie did look a bit annoyed, she removed her hand with a laugh.

"Rise and shine, and separate you two," Amelia demanded.

"Good morning, Amelia," I grumbled.

"Oh hush, you'll see her soon," she said as she pulled Sookie out of the bed and dragged her out of the room. "Into the shower with you, we need to get your hair done ASAP."

Sookie pulled away from her quickly, and ran back to the bed. She wrapped her arms around me, and gave me a deep kiss before pulling away and saying, "Good morning. I'll see you later… you know, when we get married."

I grinned, "I'll be there."

She smiled back and then followed Amelia out of the room. When I heard the shower turn on I tried not to think of her in there. It wasn't helping my situation. Instead, I got up, willed my erection away, and went to the basement for a workout. I was supposed to stay in the basement until it was time to go outside.

I had just gotten on the treadmill when Dad came down the stairs. He was in workout clothes, and asked if he could join me.

"Yeah. Of course you can," I said, and he did.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Good. A little nervous, but I'll be fine."

"I should be able to tell you what your wedding day is like," he said.

"That's not your fault," I told him.

"I know, but it doesn't make it okay."

"Yes it does. I know that if you could go back, you'd do it differently. All that matters is that we're all together now. You got Mom to fight her cancer. You have no idea how hard it was to watch her give up. You're my hero."

I know it was cheesy as fuck, but he needed to hear it. He smiled and nodded, and then we finished working out together. I took a hot shower after that, and pulled on some pajama bottoms and an old shirt. I still had to eat, and Sookie would kill me if I got something on my suit.

Dad went upstairs to get me something to eat while I got on my laptop to check my e-mail. My editor had sent me a few things about the new book, and a message congratulating me on my marriage. I checked over his notes and was satisfied with what I read. I was feeling really great about the next book, and was really looking forward to Sookie getting to read it. It made me so happy when she read the first three, but also really nervous. I knew she would catch on to the fact that I was Sven, and I hoped she wouldn't judge me too harshly. She didn't. Sookie truly was amazing. She read about my depression, my selfishness, my man-whore days, and she took it all in and didn't judge me for it.

I checked out a few more things on the computer, and then Dad came back in with plate full of breakfast food. It was waffles with whipped cream and strawberries, scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Mom cooked my favorite breakfast. I devoured it quickly, and then began to get dressed.

I wore my Gucci suit, which was tailored to fit me, and the nicest thing I owned. Sookie said it was okay that I didn't wear a tie, so I left the top two buttons undone. I pulled my hair back, put on my shoes, and took one long look at myself in the mirror and knew this was the best thing I would ever do. I was marrying the girl of my dreams, literally, and I was ready.

A half an hour later of pacing later, Mom came down to tell me it was time to go outside. Her eyes watered when she saw me all dressed up, and she gave me a long hug.

"I never thought I'd see you marry the perfect woman," she said. "I'm so happy you found her."

"Me too," I said.

Dad and I met Clancy, Felicia, Sam, and Jason outside and we walked out to the spot in front of the pond where the ceremony would be. The man officiating was a friend of Sam's who was certified. While we waited for it to be time we all talked a bit. Felicia wanted to know why there weren't chairs because she was wearing heels. I wanted to roll my eyes, but restrained myself for Clancy's sake. She knew it was going to be in a field, she shouldn't have worn heels.

Luckily, Sookie's mother and Pam came down to us and told us to take our positions. Suddenly, my stomach filled with butterflies. This was it. I was getting married.

Everyone got into their positions, and then Amelia appeared at the top of the little hill that led to the pond. She slowly walked down the little makeshift path between the two groups of people, and gave me a wink when she got to the front. I took a deep breath, and then looked at the top of the hill once more.

My breathing hitched, and a huge grin slowly spread across my face. Sookie and her father were standing where Amelia had been, but I could only see Sookie. She looked like an angel. Her dress moved with the slight breeze and as it did I could make out her glorious curves. Her hair fell in soft curls over her shoulders, and the way the sun shone down on her made her seem to glow. I felt myself fall in love all over again. She held a bouquet of lilies in her hand, and had a grin matching mine on her face.

The whole world slowed down as she came closer, and when she finally reached me I breathed a sigh of relief. Her father gave her away, and she handed her flowers to Amelia before taking my hands. She squeezed them and smiled brightly at me.

The ceremony was pretty short and to the point, but we did want to say our own vows, and when it was time to do that I wasn't nervous anymore. I saw everything clearly.

"Sookie, when you came into my life I was a mess. I was lost in the dark, and you were the bright light that guided me out of it. Your warmth and your strength saved me, and I am honored that you chose me to be your husband. You've shown me what true, unconditional love is, and I promise you that I will always love you, honor you, and even worship you for the rest of our lives."

She teared up, and held my hands a little tighter before giving her vows.

"Eric, when you came into my life I thought I was doing great, but I knew something was missing. You showed me that I needed to let go and trust someone. You showed me what true love really is, and now that I've found it I don't ever want to lose it. I promise to love you, honor you, and worship you for the rest of our lives."

I smiled brightly as we put our wedding rings on each other's hands, and then after a few more words I was told I could kiss the bride. I pulled her tightly to my body and bent her backwards before kissing her deeply. Everyone erupted in cheers as we kissed, and when I finally released her lips we were announced man and wife.

For the first time in my entire life, I felt complete.

* * *

**All together now! "Aaaawwwww!"**

**Feel Better? I do!**

**So... *ahem* Not many chapters left now *sniff***

**I'm thinking about 4 or 5 maybe. That's totally subject to change though. I know what's left that needs to happen, but I don't have it outlined or anything. The next chapter is done and with my beta-love(r) FDM *giggles* **

**Links to Sookie's dress and Eric's suit are on my profile.**

**What did you think of the wedding? Is there anything you are looking forward to still happening? **


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

After the ceremony we all walked back to the house to have an early dinner that Emma and Niall prepared. Everyone was so happy and talkative, and I never left Eric's side. I couldn't, because he had his arm around me constantly. He didn't want to let me go.

I was happy to see that my parents and Eric's were getting along wonderfully. Everyone was; except Felicia, that is. Looking back on it, she was more annoying than anything, but at the time I really, really didn't like her. I wondered how she would've felt if someone with her attitude went to her wedding acting that way. Clancy finally seemed to realize how she was acting, and after the two of them disappeared for a while, she had a much better attitude. I hoped he had just given her a talking-to.

After dinner, Eric and I went back to our bedroom to change, but he surprised me when we got there.

"Don't change," he said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because I want to take this dress off of you right before I make love to you for the first time as your husband. I can't do that if you change out of it," he explained.

I gulped, "While I really like the sound of that, I really don't want to wear this dress all the way to Hawaii."

"I'll wear the suit all the way there if you want. You can undress me too when we get there," he said with a smirk.

"Eric…" I began, but he did that silly little pout of his. The one that made me give in every single time.

"Please?"

I sighed loudly, "Oh for the love of Pete. Fine, I will keep the dress on, but you had damn well better not laugh when I get funny looks from everyone under the sun."

The huge smile that crossed his face made any funny looks completely worth it. It was the kind of smile that showed me just how happy he was—the kind of smile that warmed me up from the inside.

He immediately pulled me into his arms and kissed me. "Thank you," he said over and over again.

I giggled as he rained my face with kisses, but smacked him when they began to travel down my neck and on to my cleavage.

"Stop that," I said.

He chuckled, but pulled away. We got our bags, and loaded up the car before heading back to the kitchen to tell everybody goodbye.

Our mothers cried, and our fathers both rolled their eyes at them. They all looked a little confused about why we were still wearing our wedding clothes, but nobody said anything. After everyone received hugs, we both took turns saying goodbye to Ansel, who was actually acting like he had a normal dog's energy from all the extra people in the house.

When we finally loaded into Eric's car, we both breathed a sigh of relief. He gave me a meaningful look, and started the car. I couldn't stop staring at his left hand the whole way to the airport. I know women typically stare at their own hand, but with the engagement ring I was already used to jewelry on that finger. Eric's, however… simply looked divine.

He caught me staring, and reached for my left hand with his right.

"I like the look of yours too," he said with a smile.

"I can't believe we're really married. How did it happen so fast? How did we get so lucky?"

"I don't know, but I'm taking it," he said.

We did get a lot of funny looks at the airport, but we got just as many smiles and congratulations, which was nice. We had one changeover before getting on the plane to Hawaii. On both planes Eric tried to get me to join the mile-high club. I refused all five times. I wanted to sleep so that I would be well rested for what would happen in our hotel room as soon as we arrived. It didn't stop him from doing a little under-the-blanket teasing though—teasing that I thoroughly enjoyed until he stopped. He thought he was getting to me with it, I could tell that by his smirk, but the truth was that I wanted him to do it. Our sex was always a hundred times better if we were both worked up, and I wanted our first time as husband and wife to be phenomenal.

Of course, that meant I had to do some teasing of my own. Yes, it seemed a bit cruel, but it was fun.

When we finally landed in Hawaii we had both managed to take a nap, and because we were almost to the hotel, we were getting antsy. The ride to the hotel took about twenty minutes, and we made out like teenagers the whole way. Then Eric got a little snippy with the poor bellboy because he was taking too long with our bags, but when that door finally closed and it was just me and him alone, everything changed.

I was standing by the window checking out the view from the balcony, and Eric was sitting on the bed, watching me. He had this content look on his face, and I couldn't help but smile at him. I walked over and stood in front of him, stepping between his legs to get closer. Reaching around his head, I pulled his hair from its knot and then tucked the free strands behind his ears. I leaned down and kissed his lips softly as I slowly unbuttoned his shirt, and continued to kiss him as I ran my hands along his shoulders underneath the shirt and jacket, pulling them off as I went. He shrugged out of them, and continued to kiss me as he stood up.

He pulled back to look me in the eyes, and smiled. "Turn around wife," he said, and I got chills from the sound of it. I turned around and felt his hands at my neck, brushing my hair aside as they found the zipper. Ever so slowly, he lowered the zipper until it was low enough for him to slip the dress off my shoulders. It fell in a pool of beautiful fabric at my feet, and I turned around to face him again. He knew from the teasing on the plane that I was wearing a garter belt, but actually seeing it made the fire in his eyes burn brighter.

"I love the way you look in garters," he whispered roughly before attacking my mouth with his.

He picked me up as we kissed, and turned to lay me down on the bed. We broke apart when he set me down, and he climbed up on the end of the bed. He took off my heels and carefully set them down on the floor next to the bed, and his gaze never left mine. Ever so slowly, he unhooked my stockings, and rolled them down my legs before removing the garter belt as well.

"I don't want there to be anything between us," he explained when he saw my confused expression. I knew how much he liked to have sex with me while I was wearing lingerie.

I smiled at him, and then sat up so I could kiss him. My fingers entwined in his hair as I pulled him down to me, and he made quick work of removing my bra. As soon as it was gone I was on my back again, and when Eric's kisses traveled to my breasts I didn't stop him.

He spent an ample amount of time on each one, licking, sucking, and biting until I was a panting, moaning pile of horniness. I felt nothing but anticipation when he finally began to kiss further down my body, and couldn't help but prop myself up on my elbows to watch him as he hooked his fingers under the waistband of my lacy underwear, and pulled them down and off of me. Instead of going right back to it, he gave me a devilish grin and paid attention to my feet instead.

When I realized what he was doing, I plopped back down on the bed and resigned myself to simply enjoying it. There was going to be no speeding him up now. I heard him chuckle, and then he began to massage my foot. His thumbs rubbed circles into the arch with just enough pressure to make me moan.

"Do you like that wife?" he asked, and I finally noticed that he hadn't called me "Sookie" in a while. For some reason, it didn't bother me. Well, as long as he didn't call out "Wife!" in the throes of passion, that is.

"Yes, husband," I mocked.

He chuckled again, and continued his ministrations on the other foot. Eventually, his hands worked their way to my calves where he briefly massaged my slightly sore muscles, before finally beginning to kiss his way to where I wanted him most. I let my moans grow louder as he got closer, but he completely bypassed the Promised Land and kissed his way up to my mouth instead. I growled when he got there, and pushed on his shoulders until he was on his back and I was straddling him.

"Mmm, taking control are you?" he asked with a smirk.

"Since my husband seems to be in a teasing mood, then yes, I'm taking control," I replied as my hands rubbed all over his broad chest.

"You started it," he said.

"Yes, I did, and I intend to finish it," I promised, and his eyes darkened.

I leaned down to kiss him, and poured all my fire and passion into it until he was breathless. When I broke away I did the same thing he had, and spent some time on his nipples. I bit a little harder than I usually did, and was quite pleased with the loud groans that came out of his mouth. As I kissed my way down his torso my hands were busy undoing his belt and pants, and when I pulled them off along with his underwear I was careful not to touch his extremely hard erection.

I began kissing his torso again, and worked my way down to that lovely v-line to nip at the sensitive flesh there. He groaned and his hips bucked a little. I giggled, and continued to kiss, lick, and nip everywhere except for where he wanted it most. Eventually, I got to the point that I didn't want to wait anymore. All I wanted was my husband to make love to me.

"Eric," I said, and his eyes snapped to mine.

I wrapped my hand tightly around him and began to slowly stroke.

"Is this what you want?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, and I stroked him faster.

"Do you know what I want?" I asked.

"Yes," he said again, so I released him, and almost immediately I was on my back and my husband's head was between my thighs.

I cried out in relief as he used his talented mouth and fingers on me until I was on the edge of release.

"I need you," I breathed, hoping he would hear me and understand. He did.

In an instant he was above me, bracing himself on his arms as he looked into my eyes. My hand went down between us to position him, and when he was in the right spot he slowly pushed forward until he was a couple of inches in before stopping.

His lips connected with mine, and after probably the most amazing kiss of my life, he pulled back, looked me in the eyes, and said something in Swedish. I didn't know what on earth he was saying, but whatever it was he meant it.

"I love you," I said back, hoping that he said something along those lines to me. He smiled, kissed me again, and then slowly pushed the rest of the way in. We both moaned in relief and pleasure when he filled me completely, and after a bit more kissing we began to move together in the sweetest rhythm. It was absolutely perfect, and I couldn't imagine it ever being that sweet again. I didn't want it to end, so when Eric began to move faster I stopped him.

"What is it?" he asked.

I told him to sit up and cross his legs, and he immediately knew what I wanted. He did as I asked, and opened his arms for me. I sat in his lap facing him and wrapped my legs around him as my arms went around his neck. He reached down and positioned himself again before slowly sliding back into me. My back arched and I moaned as I pulled him in deeper. His hands wrapped around my waist as he kissed my neck, and he began to push lightly, urging me to begin moving. I rocked my hips slowly, panting and moaning when he began to move with me, his groin rubbing against my clit with every forward motion.

Our pace increased again, and I could tell from the way he was breathing that he was close. I latched onto his neck with my mouth, nipping and sucking at the skin there before whispering in his ear.

"Come with me, Eric."

He groaned, and increased his speed as his mouth found mine. His thumb went to my most sensitive spot and as soon as it made contact I screamed into his mouth. My release hit me hard, and it felt as though every nerve ending in my entire body was on fire. My inner walls clenched around him, and I felt him pulse deep inside me just before the warmth of his release. He groaned loudly and clutched me tightly to him until the shudders stopped.

I slowly removed myself from his lap, and collapsed on the bed. He crawled up next to me and pulled me into his hot, sweaty body.

"Thank you for choosing me," he said, and I actually laughed.

"Who else could I have chosen?" I asked. "You've ruined me for any other man. No one else could ever be as perfect for me as you."

"Glad to hear it," he smiled, and I waited for him to return the sentiment but he stayed quiet. I smacked him on the arm and tried to get up, but he only held me tighter and laughed.

"Sookie, you're perfect for me too. There's no other woman in is world that could make me as happy as you do," he said sincerely.

"I love you," I said as I snuggled into his embrace, wrapping my arms around him as I did.

"As I love you," he replied.

We lay there wrapped up in each other for a while, occasionally kissing or tickling the other, laughing, saying sappy things. It was absolutely wonderful, and I knew I would always remember it.

After a while, Eric began to get _excited_ again. He smirked at me when I gaped at him.

"Really, I don't know why it surprises you anymore," he said.

"I know it shouldn't, but my goodness. I've never heard of a man snapping back that fast, and then I find you, always ready and more than willing."

He laughed. "Maybe we should do a few experiments and find out how long it takes me. We can set some kind of record."

I snorted. "I'm up for it, but only because I'm horny."

"My wife is horny? Isn't it in my duties to take care of that?" he asked as he rolled on top of me once more.

"I'm not sure 'love and honor' means to satisfy me when I'm horny," I said.

"Ahh, but you forgot 'worship'. I plan to do just that for a while," he said, and began kissing his way down my body once more.

"Only if I get to worship you later," I said, and he chuckled.

"Do you really expect me to say no to that?" he asked.

"Nope," I laughed, and then gasped when he found the place he most wanted to worship.

A few hours later we were finally, fully sated and tangled up in each other as the sky was beginning to lighten with the rising sun. As I drifted off to my dreamland I held my husband a little tighter, and whispered how much I loved him. He returned the sentiment and when I felt his lips touch my forehead I let myself be carried away by my exhaustion.

I was pretty darn sure I was going to enjoy being married.

* * *

***le sigh***

**Not a whole lot to say here. A big thank you to my beta, FDM *smoochies* You're the best! **

**I want to remind everyone again to be patient about updates, not only with me, but with ALL authors here. We're all going to be busy with the holidays, so stories may not update as fast as you'd like.**

**How did you like their first night as a married couple? :)**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

**EPOV**

I pulled the car into the driveway, and turned to my sleeping wife in the passenger seat. I smiled at her peaceful form, not really wanting to wake her up. I reached over and gently shook her shoulder.

"Sookie," I whispered. "We're home."

She stirred slightly and sat up, smiling when she looked out the window.

"It's good to be back," she said.

Ansel barked from the backseat and she jumped.

"Holy shit, you already stopped at Sam's to get him?" she asked.

"Yes, you slept through it all," I chuckled.

"It's good to see you too boy," she said to Ansel, scratching him behind the ears. "Let's go inside."

I got our bags from the trunk while Sookie took Ansel on into the house. We were finally alone there. Mom had called while we were in Hawaii to say that she and Niall had found a little rental property near the hospital, and that they would be moved into it by the time we got back. The next day, Pam called to say that Sam asked her to marry him and that she would be moved in with him before we got back. It was all a little overwhelming, but Sookie and I were both happy that we would be the only ones in the house again.

We got unpacked and settled back into the house just in time to order pizza for supper, and watch some second shelf movies. I'd never felt more content in my life, and I found myself thinking that more and more every single day.

"I think we need to talk about something," Sookie said when the movie ended and I went to switch it out with another.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Kids," she said, and my heart almost stopped. Had she changed her mind? "I haven't changed my mind," she assured me when she saw me tense up. I let out a sigh of relief slowly, not wanting her to see that I would have been upset if she had changed her mind.

"What about it do we need to discuss?" I asked.

"Come sit down for a minute," she said, so I joined her again on the couch. "I think we just need to talk about how we want to go about the whole thing."

"By having sex?"

She laughed. "Yes, that, but what I mean is, do you want to take tests every month, figure out when I'm ovulating, all the technical stuff?"

"Sookie, if you want to go through all of that then I will support you, but I don't think it's worth the stress. I think we should just screw like happy newlyweds, and if you happen to be late then we'll take a test, but if we anticipate it every month then we'll get our hopes up and that's cause for disappointment. It's just a lot of unneeded stress."

She nodded. "I agree, and I was hoping you would say that. I don't think I could handle it if we got our hopes up all the time just to be disappointed."

"You know I won't be disappointed every time, right?" I asked, taking her hand in mine.

"I think we both will. Even if it's just a little," she said.

"Lots of couples who are very fertile have to try for months to get pregnant. I'm not expecting us to conceive right away." I wasn't entirely sure if that was true, and I was hoping that she didn't either.

"So this means that we screw like newlyweds and get tested only if I happen to be late?"

"Yes, if that's what you want."

"It's what I want," she said, and then she hugged me. "In fact, I think we should start with the first part of that right now."

"I think you are a very smart woman Mrs. Northman."

~o0o~

Sookie and I were left alone for a whole week, and it was wonderful. Mom still called to update us on the progress of her treatment, but we didn't hear a thing from Pam and Sam. Sookie's parents were off on another trip, and her brother and Amelia had already gone back to New York.

I finished writing my book that week, and sent it off to my editor way ahead of schedule. He said that if all went according to plan and there weren't any major changes, I would have a book tour in about ten months. I was certainly ready for it, because this time I wouldn't be sleeping alone in random hotels night after night, sometimes with even more random women. This time I would be taking my wife with me, and the randomness, the extreme loneliness of it all despite all the new people you meet… all of it will cease to exist, because I'd have her with me.

I'd changed quite a bit in the two weeks I'd been married. At least I felt like it. Sookie _was _my other half, and I was happiest when I was near her. It was that simple. She made me laugh, she got my sense of humor, she didn't judge me, she turned me on more than anyone ever had, and she just _knew_ me. What more could I want or need?

At the end of that week Sookie came into the study looking kind of sad, but before I could ask what was up the phone rang.

"Hello?" Sookie answered. "Hi! Really? Of course! No, we're not busy. Okay. See you soon. Bye."

"Who was that, and who are we going to see?" I asked as she hung up.

"That was your father, and he says he has wedding pictures and news. We need to get going. Pam and Sam are already on their way there."

"Must be some news," I said as I stood up and stretched. "Alright, let me use the bathroom and then I'll be ready."

She nodded, and went to let Ansel out while I went into the bathroom. As I dried my hands I glanced down into the trashcan, and then noticed an open box of tampons on the back of the stool. That was when I realized why Sookie was sad. It upset me that she was so disappointed since we'd decided we wouldn't do that, but I supposed she couldn't help it. We'd only been going without protection for a few weeks. I knew I had to wait and let her come to me about it, so when we got in the car I didn't say anything.

We were about halfway there when Sookie reached over and took my hand.

"I have to tell you something," she said.

"What is it?" I asked gently.

"I started my period today," she said quietly.

"I know."

"What?" she asked.

"I saw the trash in the bathroom just before we left," I explained.

"Oh," she said in a small voice.

"Please don't be sad."

"I know we said we weren't going to be, but I just can't help it."

"Look at it this way. It's just another month of fun we get to have trying," I said, glancing at her with a smile.

She snorted. "You would think of that."

"What can I say? I love the trying."

She kept a smile on her face the rest of the way, and it only got bigger when we arrived. It was the first time we'd seen Mom and Dad since we'd been back since they had been in New York so Dad could iron out some things at his job. Immediately we were both enveloped in hugs, and brought into the living room to sit. Pam and Sam were sitting on the loveseat holding hands, and they both said hello when we walked in. The house they'd found was already fully furnished courtesy of Dad. He wanted Mom to be completely comfortable.

"You look so good, Mom," I told her as Sookie and I sat down on the couch. I hadn't seen my mother with that much color in her cheeks in a really long time. She was practically glowing.

"Niall says it's the treatments, but I think it's him," she said with a big smile.

I swear he almost blushed, and then turned the conversation around. "Would you two like to see your wedding pictures?"

"Yes!" Sookie exclaimed, sitting straight up and practically vibrating with excitement. I chuckled at her enthusiasm, and she shot me a look.

"What? You're being cute," I said, wrapping my arm around her waist.

Dad laughed at us and then handed over a photo album. Sookie immediately teared up when she opened the cover to a picture of us kissing at the ceremony.

"Oh, Niall!" she gasped. "It's so beautiful."

I didn't voice my opinion like Sookie, but it was beautiful. All of them were. He'd even gotten a few of Ansel that were great. Sookie never actually cried while looking at them, but when we finished she jumped up and gave Dad a long hug before sitting back down and taking my hand.

"They're great, Dad," I said to him with a smile. "Thank you."

"Now what's this news you two have?" Pam asked as she and Sam flipped through the album.

"Well, it's kind of a two-parter," Mom said as she and Dad stood up in front of us all. "The first is that your father has asked me to marry him."

Pam, Sookie, and Sam all smiled broadly at them and offered their congratulations, but I knew there was more to it than that. They couldn't marry yet.

"But," Dad continued, "This means that Emma must seek a divorce from Marcus."

"Is it possible to do without her going back?" I asked seriously.

"We've been in contact with my lawyer, and he said it's entirely possible as long as Marcus doesn't pull anything to drag it out. We're going to send him some very straightforward divorce papers. Your mother doesn't want anything from him. None of his money, nothing he owns. She just wants to no longer be married to him. If he just signs the papers then everything will be fine and we can get married as soon as possible so that she can stay in the states."

"And if he drags it out?" I asked. "I don't want him anywhere near her ever again."

"None of us do, Eric. If it comes to that, we'll all go. She won't be alone," he said.

We were all silent for a moment, and Sookie graciously spoke up.

"So what's the other part?" she asked.

Mom smiled. "My doctor says everything is looking really good and thinks I'll be in remission before the end of the year, so when that happens… I'll be moving to New York with Niall."

"Emma, that's wonderful," Sookie said.

I had to agree with that. "That's great news, Mom. We'll still see you too. We're keeping Sookie's apartment in the city, so we'll be able to visit a lot."

"What about Sam and me?" Pam asked, and everybody looked at her. "What? We're not renting an apartment in New York just to go visit. Why can't you stay here?"

I sighed. Pam had always been kind of attached to our mother, especially after she'd gotten sick.

"Pam, if you and Sam want to get away once in a while and see Mom and Dad you can stay at our place in the city. It's not a big deal," I told her, and she huffed.

"Pamela," Mom said to her gently. "This won't be happening right away, and I'll just be a plane ride away. We've already talked about coming to visit often."

"I still…" she began to protest again, but Sam put his hand on her knee and interrupted. Pam immediately relaxed at his touch. I'd never seen anyone be able to do that to Pam, calm her down with a touch.

"We'd both be happy to use your apartment when we go visit," he said to Sookie and I with a polite smile, and then glanced at Pam. She narrowed her eyes at him, and then sighed.

"Yes, thank you for the offer, and we'd be glad to take you up on it," she said.

I smiled at the two of them. I could tell that Pam was happy with him, and it seemed that Sam was just the kind of calming balance she needed.

We were all invited to stay for supper and when we got home it was time to crawl into bed, which we did. Sookie fell asleep before me, so I spooned up behind her and placed a hand on her stomach. It was only at night when she was asleep that I allowed myself to imagine what it would be like when she was pregnant, and I could feel our child moving around inside of her. With those thoughts, and a smile, I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Just a few more chapters folks! Thank you so much for the support, and for being patient for updates. I assure you that the story is completely written and I have the next chapter back from my kickass beta so I'll update again very soon! **

**Love you all, and I'm so excited to finish this journey with you :)**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Eight months later…

"Eric, come on! We need to leave ten minutes ago!" I hollered down the hall at him.

"I'm coming," he yelled back and finally walked up the hall with his computer bag slung over his shoulder.

I grabbed Ansel's leash and carrier while Eric coaxed him out of the house and into the car, and then we sped off to the airport. Pam and Sam had flown out a few days before because Eric said they needed some time on their own since they didn't have a honeymoon. They'd gotten married the month before, but decided to wait on a honeymoon since everything was so hectic with their wedding and Emma's divorce.

Marcus attempted to drag it out, but the lawyers managed to work out something so nobody had to go back to Sweden. As soon as the divorce went through, Emma and Niall began planning their wedding and doing all the paperwork so that she could stay in the states. In the middle of all of that wonderfulness, we got the news that Emma was officially in remission. It was probably one of the happiest days of my life when I saw her share the news with everyone. Eric and Pam hadn't lost their mother, and Niall hadn't lost the love of his life. I cried, of course.

Niall really needed to get back to work, so he and Emma moved to New York right away. Eric and I went with them, so I could get back in the office again and officially quit my job. It seemed like a waste to have gone through all of that negotiating with Arlene just to quit a few months later, but the look on her face when Niall informed her that he was buying out my contract was priceless.

He'd approached me with the offer to work with him shortly after Eric and I returned from our honeymoon, and I said I'd think about it, but I knew I would accept. Niall was a very good boss, and had a very clear vision with his magazine. He even agreed to let me try my hand at writing the accompanying articles. I was beyond excited to start working for him.

As for getting pregnant, it was still not happening. After my first couple of periods, I got used to it and finally decided to let go like Eric was and just have fun trying. If it happened, it happened, and only then would I let myself anticipate anything. Eric was simply amazing with it all, and never acted like he was disappointed in the least. I loved him even more for it.

We were on our way to New York for Niall and Emma's wedding, and we were running a little bit behind. Eric was working on the edits for his next book non-stop, so it would be ready ahead of schedule. He said he wanted the extra time to focus on us before the book tour, which was starting in a month. I was very excited about going with him. Somehow we managed to wrangle Ansel into the deal too, but that meant we would drive to most of the locations and keep the flying to a minimum. We were both worried that flying too much would cause some unneeded stress on Ansel, and we liked the idea of a road trip with him.

Luckily, we managed to get to the airport without getting pulled over, and also managed to get through security and get Ansel all loaded up just in time to board. When we finally collapsed into our seats we took one look at each other and began laughing.

"I can't believe we made it," he said, taking my hand in his.

"Me either. Maybe next time you should listen to your wife when she tells you there's no time for sex."

"My wife doesn't know what's good for her. Those multiple orgasms will get her through this flight and she'll thank me later," he teased, not keeping his voice down at all. I blushed and crossed my arms over my chest, removing my hand from his in the process.

"If you make one comment about the mile-high club through this whole flight, I will not speak to you until we get back," I threatened. I knew he was right about the orgasms getting me through the flight, and I didn't want to admit it, so I reverted back to the mile-high club thing.

Every flight we took together, Eric asked me to join the club with him, and I refused. Every time I entered an airplane bathroom all I could think about was that horrible suction sound that comes when you flush. Not exactly romantic if you know what I mean. Not to mention that sometimes I fear I won't be able to turn around in the damn thing. How were we both supposed to fit? And the germs? Just thinking about that made me shudder in disgust. I'll admit that I almost wanted to do it just so I could say I'd done it, but then I'd think of those things and I'd be convinced not to.

"You'd never be able to not speak to me and you know it. It's an empty threat," he smirked at me.

"Hush."

He chuckled as he fastened his seatbelt and forced me to hold his hand again. I refused to look at him and felt his warm breath on my neck just before he kissed it.

"I love you," he whispered in my ear in his deep, sexy voice.

I involuntarily let out a low moan.

"If you do that again I will drag you to the bathroom and delay the takeoff just to have you," he continued, and I knew that if he kept talking in that voice I would forget all my issues and let him, so instead I turned my head and kissed him.

He kissed me back hungrily, and I was afraid I'd made the wrong decision because I felt his hands move to his seatbelt, but before he could undo it a flight attendant interrupted us.

"Excuse me," she said disapprovingly, and we broke apart. "You two need to reign in your hormones and sit back. The plane is about to take off." She began to walk away, but stopped and bent down so she could whisper. "And stay out of the bathroom."

We both busted up laughing after she walked away, and Eric wrapped his arm around me as I rested my head on his shoulder.

A few hours later we landed in New York and collected a very happy to see us Ansel before heading straight to Niall's apartment. The wedding was in just a couple of hours, and we needed to get changed and get everyone to the courthouse.

Emma had refused a big fancy wedding in a church with a bunch of guests. She said she had that the first time, and hated all of it. I was sure that had more to do with the groom than the ceremony, but didn't argue it. As long as they were happy, then so were the rest of us.

Eric stayed with Niall and Sam, while I went back to the bedroom to find Emma. She was beautiful. Her hair was growing back, and she was no longer wearing anything on her head to cover it. Instead, she had a very stylish short hairdo. Pam was zipping her into her dress when I walked in the room. She looked at me through the mirror and smiled.

"You look beautiful," I said, smiling warmly at her.

"Thank you, dear," she replied, and then opened her arms in an invitation for me to hug her. I took it. I loved Emma's hugs. You always felt like she meant it.

"Are you nervous?" I asked.

"Not one bit. This has been a long time coming, and I couldn't be more ready for it."

She certainly looked ready. So did Niall. I don't think either one of them was nervous at all. The guys went to the courthouse ahead of us, and we followed, leaving Ansel alone in the apartment. Emma's smile only grew when we arrived.

"I'm so happy this is finally happening," she said as she squeezed Pam's hand.

"I am too, Mom," Pam replied.

The ceremony was very emotional, for Pam and me at least. I think it was because I could see how happy they were to finally be getting married. It was something they'd waited over two decades for, and they deserved their happiness more than anyone I would ever know.

After they were announced husband and wife, we all went out to a diner for dinner, and then took them to the airport to see them off for their honeymoon. Niall was taking Emma to France.

Everyone went back to Niall's apartment after that, and Eric and I picked up Ansel to take back to our place while Pam and Sam stayed there. They were heading back in the morning, but we were staying for a few days so Eric could get more book work done. By the time we got back to our apartment we wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed, but Amelia and Jason both wanted to visit for a bit. I made some coffee, and we all had some ice cream while we caught up.

I was so relieved when they both finally left, that I wrapped my arms around Eric's neck and begged him to take me to bed. Sweetheart that he is, he picked me up and took me to the bedroom where he stripped me down to nothing and placed me under the covers. I didn't normally sleep in the nude, but I'll admit we'd done it on occasion. Eric left to go lock the door and turn things off, and a few minutes later he was equally as nude and crawling into bed behind me.

We both took a deep breath as he curled up behind me, and with no more words spoken we drifted off to sleep.

Eric went to the publisher's house the next morning, and I spent the day with Amelia. We shopped and went out for lunch, and I talked to her about some of the pregnancy stuff.

"So how do you handle your period every month?" she asked as we had dessert at a little diner.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"When you start… do you guys get upset, or is it just like a normal couple who's not trying?"

"We try not to be upset, and I don't care how much he says he isn't, I just know he feels sad every time. I do too, but we don't dwell on it. It's just another month that we get to have fun trying," I explained, but as I was talking I began to realize that I should have started already. I was a week late.

Immediately I felt excited and tried to tamp it down. I told myself that I wouldn't do that. I'd wait to be excited when I knew for sure. Besides that, I wasn't having any other symptoms. I found myself tuning Amelia out after that, although I tried to listen to her. She was saying something about Tray wanting to propose, but that she was unsure if she even wanted to be married. If there was more, I didn't catch it because I was so distracted

Eric was out walking Ansel when I got back, so I sat nervously on the couch while I waited for them to return. We'd both talked about not getting excited if something like this happened, but I was very afraid that he would be and then we'd end up disappointed. I knew I wouldn't be able to take it if that happened.

After about fifteen more minutes of nervous nail biting, Eric and Ansel came in. I was too nervous to get up, and only vaguely remember hearing him call out my name. The next thing I knew Eric was on his knees in front of me and Ansel followed and sat beside him. They both seemed to be staring at me with concern.

"What's wrong?" Eric asked while rubbing the tops of my knees slowly.

"I'm late," I blurted out. "A week late."

I watched his eyes widen in disbelief, then surprise, and finally… excitement.

"Please don't be excited," I said, tears springing to my eyes. "Wait until we know."

"Let's go get a test now," he urged.

"I want to wait for a blood test," I said.

"Why? There are home tests that are accurate."

"I know, but I want to know for sure the first time. Even if we get a positive on a home test, we'll still have to get a blood test when we go to the doctor. I'd rather wait."

I was avoiding and I knew it, but thankfully Eric loved me enough not to push it.

I woke up in the middle of the night to Eric's hand on my stomach, and at first I wanted to cry, but then I put my hand over his. I allowed myself to imagine what it would be like if there was a baby bump there, and I liked it. When I drifted back to sleep, it was with a smile on my face. A small smile. A hopeful one.

The next morning I called my doctor back home and asked when she could get me in. We were flying back the next day, and she said she could do it the morning after that. Eric and I avoided talking about it too much, but we did both admit that we were hoping I was.

While we were in the city, Eric finished editing his book and signed off on everything he needed to for the book tour. He said the trip was all planned out for us, and showed me the itinerary. I was quite excited when I looked at it. We'd be driving a lot, but I knew I'd love the time with Eric, getting to see him with his fans and in his element.

I realized just how nervous Eric was when he didn't suggest joining the mile-high club the entire plane ride home. I was becoming quite nervous too. I wanted to know, but at the same time I was very afraid to find out. That may seem ridiculous, but it was the truth.

After we got back home I was feeling kind of tired, so I took a nap while Eric worked on some book-related stuff. He had interviews he could do through e-mail, so he worked on those for a while before joining me in bed. I slept for about an hour and then woke up to use the bathroom. When I sat down on the toilet I saw the blood and my heart stopped. I was so shocked that I couldn't even cry, and it was then that I realized how much I had already attached myself to the idea that I was pregnant.

It must have been the stress of everything that had been going on that threw my cycle out of whack. My period used to be off before I was on the pill, and since I'd stopped taking it I still managed to stay pretty regular, but there wasn't a whole lot of stress until then. I didn't know why I hadn't thought of that before. I could have saved Eric and myself a lot of heartache.

Eric. I couldn't go back and lay down with him again. I went back to the bedroom and grabbed some new underwear and a pair of sweats, and then laid down on the couch in his study. I grabbed the house phone as an afterthought and left a message at the doctor's office that I wouldn't be in the next morning. Then I curled up on the couch and tried to figure out what to tell Eric.

EPOV

I woke up to an empty spot on the bed where Sookie had been. I assumed she'd just woken up and wanted to let me sleep so I got up and used the bathroom. Much like that first time, I glanced into the trash can while drying my hands and discovered that, once again, we had more trying ahead of us.

"Fuck," I muttered as I felt as though all the wind was knocked out of me. I'm not an emotional person by any means, but I knew from the hurt I felt that I'd let myself get too excited.

Like a flip switched, I was suddenly only worried about Sookie. She'd admitted that she was a bit hopeful this time too, and I knew if it turned out she wasn't pregnant that she'd feel like she'd disappointed me. I left the bathroom and went out to the living room and kitchen looking for her, but didn't see her anywhere. Then I spotted Ansel lying in front of my study door, staring at it with his head tilted to the side like he wanted to go in.

I walked down the hall and slowly opened the door to find Sookie curled up on the couch, facing the back of it with her arms holding her stomach. I didn't say a word as I spooned up behind her and wrapped my arms around her. As soon as I did, it was like a levee broke, and she began sobbing and shaking in my arms.

"Shhh, it's okay," I whispered in her ear over and over again until she was all cried out and had fallen back asleep.

Ansel had his head on my hip the whole time, staring sadly at Sookie. He'd grown quite fond of her, and I assumed he could sense her emotions like he could mine. He whined a little bit when I picked her up and carried her back to the bedroom, so I let him come in and jump up on the bed. He curled up at our feet and rested his head on Sookie's legs.

I fell asleep with her, and when I woke up later I was alone again. I sighed in frustration and went off in search of my wife. She wasn't in the house at all this time, and neither was Ansel, so I slipped some shoes on and went outside. I didn't see them anywhere in the yard, so I took off into the field and sure enough, that's where they were. Sookie was sitting on the ground in front of the pond, wrapped in a blanket, and Ansel was sitting next to her.

I sat down on the other side of her and wrapped an arm around her, but she didn't lean into my embrace like I thought she would.

"Sookie?"

"I'm sorry," she said stoically.

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault," I told her firmly. There was absolutely no reason for her to blame herself.

She didn't say another word, and after a few minutes she got up and began to walk back up to the house. Ansel and I silently got up and followed her.

For the next six days I gave Sookie some space. She wanted to be alone, but I wasn't going to let that happen. I understood why she had reacted the way she did. She'd never allowed herself to hope for kids, and just when she thought it was possible it was taken from her. I was just thankful that it happened the way it did and not after we'd gotten a positive from a blood test.

After her period ended, she seemed to snap out of it and sought me out in my office.

"Can we talk?" she asked after knocking on the door. I hated that she felt the need to knock or ask if we could talk.

"Of course we can," I said as I stood up and pulled her to the couch. "You never have to ask that."

"I know. I've just been so selfish, and I'm so sorry for that. We should have gone through this together, and I shouldn't have pulled away like that."

"No, you deserve to be selfish about this," I insisted.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I have the right to shut you out. You are my husband, and you were just as hopeful that I was pregnant as I was. I love you, and I still want to keep trying," she said, and took my hand in hers.

"I want to keep trying too," I said.

She immediately embraced me, and I rocked her back and forth for a few minutes while running my fingers through her hair. We both abandoned work for the rest of the day and spent all our time together.

The next few weeks flew by as things got back to normal, but just before we were supposed to leave on the book tour, something strange and wonderful happened. Sookie and I were both asleep, and we were in the field again. I was holding her hand as we stood in front of the tree with our initials carved into it.

"Eric?" Sookie asked. "What are we doing in here?"

"Look," I said as I saw it and pointed at the carvings.

Under our big S and E there was the letter N. Sookie gasped and squeezed my hand. We both gaped at the tree, and then at each other.

"Do you think…" she began, but trailed off, afraid to say it.

"Yes," I said, and then we both woke up with a start.

"Did you just dream?" I asked and she nodded, still as wide-eyed as she had been in the dream.

That was all the confirmation I needed, and I slowly leaned in to kiss her. She kissed me back and pulled me down on top of her. We made love with a certain power and purpose that was never there before, and we both felt it.

"I feel different," she said as we snuggled together in the aftermath of our bliss.

"Me too," I agreed.

Two days later we left on the book tour, and it was by far the best one I'd ever been on. Having Sookie and Ansel with me was the biggest part of that, but so were the fans. They were so supportive of the news that Sven would have a major change in the next book, and the enthusiasm was outstanding. I knew that Sookie loved being able to see me do it, and I was able to introduce her and include her in interviews a few times. All of it made the time fly by and before I knew what was happening we were home again.

"I love coming home," Sookie exclaimed as she fell onto our bed. I happily fell on top of her, kissing her neck and tickling her sides. She laughed and giggled until she was begging me to stop.

"What do you love most about home?" I asked.

"That it's home," she answered simply. "I think Ansel's glad to be back too."

"I agree. I don't think he's ever jumped on the couch that quickly."

We ended up curling up together and taking a nice long nap, which I was woken up from with a sharp slap on the arm.

"Ow," I groaned as I slowly came out of my sleepy haze.

"Eric, wake up," Sookie said urgently, so I sat up quickly and asked what was wrong. "I just had a dream, and it made me realize something. I'm late. Over a month this time. With the book tour and the traveling I wasn't even thinking about it."

"What do you want to do? Are you having any other symptoms?" I asked, trying not to get excited.

"My boobs have been a little more sensitive lately, but that's it," she said. "Let's go get a home test. I don't want to wait anymore."

She didn't even have to finish that last sentence before I was up and searching for my shoes. We drove to the store as quickly as legally possible, and bought two different kinds of tests before driving home just as fast. Sookie took the tests, and we both paced around the living room for a few minutes until the timer she set on the microwave went off. She took my hand and led me to the bathroom.

"Here, you take this box and figure out what positive is, and I'll take this one," she said as she handed me the box for one of the tests. "Okay, this one is idiot proof. It says pregnant for yes, and not pregnant for no."

"This one is two lines for pregnant, and one for not," I said. "Look at the same time?"

"Yes," she said. "On the count of three?"

"One… two… three…" we counted together and then flipped over our sticks.

Two lines. It was positive. My eyes got wide and I looked at Sookie who had the same expression on her face. We both dropped the boxes and reached for each other's tests to read them. Hers said pregnant.

"Oh my god," she said. "We have to call my doctor now."

It was still early in the afternoon since we'd gotten back so early that morning, so Sookie was able to get fit in for a quick blood test. We waited just as nervously in the doctor's office for the results to come back, probably more so because we were so wound up from the positives on the home tests. Just as I was about to go demand some results, the door opened and Sookie's old family doctor came in.

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Northman, it looks like you'll be Mommy and Daddy soon. Congratulations," she said, handing Sookie the paper that said she was most definitely pregnant.

I was speechless, and I think Sookie was too, because after a few moments of silence the doctor excused herself for a minute.

"We're pregnant," Sookie whispered finally.

"Holy shit," I said, and then pulled her body into a giant hug with an equally big smile on my face. We were pregnant.

* * *

**YAY! They're pregnant! Sorry for the minor angst there in the middle. To be fair, I did warn about it ages ago, lol. I think I made up for it in the end there though, right? **

**Big Viking hugs to FDM, my wonderful beta for fixing my mistakes. Any remaining are my own. **

**Please let me know what you are thinking. I don't mean to sound like a whiny author, but reviews are our addiction just as much as our updates are yours. It's why we ask for them so much :)**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

When the doctor came back in the room she told me to make an appointment with the OB-GYN, and said she'd fax my medical information from my doctor in New York on to that office. Then she handed me a general list of "do's" and "don'ts" and sent us on our way.

As soon as we walked out of the building, Eric wrapped his arms around me and picked me up as he hugged me.

"I can't believe it," he said in my ear.

"I can't either," I said, squeezing him back. "I'm not scared anymore."

He put me down and looked me in the eyes. "What do you mean?"

"It was that dream with the initial. I just don't feel afraid that I'm going to lose the baby. It feels like this is supposed to happen."

"I know what you mean," he said gently. "Come on, let's go home and make that appointment."

A few days later we went to my appointment and met the woman that would be delivering our baby. Her name was Dr. Ludwig, and she exuded calm. I told her about my high-risk status, and she said that she had gotten that information from my other doctor already. At the end of the appointment she surprised me when she didn't give us any special instruction.

"I've seen your type of high-risk pregnancy before, and this one isn't acting that way at all. Usually, these women have already miscarried or experienced spotting, but you've just been flying and driving all over the country and yet haven't had anything like that. Basically, this is behaving like a normal pregnancy."

"So we should treat it like one?" Eric asked.

"Yes," she said. "Do everything as you normally would. If you get tired, take a nap. Have all the sex you want. Just be normal. If you happen to experience any spotting, or you sense something is wrong, then call me."

Eric went from worried to extremely perky when she said we could still have sex, so after she left the room I smacked him on the arm.

"What? You can't blame me for being happy that we can still have sex. I think our child would want me to be happy," he said as I got dressed again.

We waited a couple of months before telling the family, and had to have a conference call with all of them since both of our parents were out of town. We invited Sam and Pam over for dinner, and afterwards we made the call. I don't think I understood a single thing any of them said for a good few minutes after we announced it because of all the screaming, but needless to say, everyone was very excited.

For the next six months things went very well. I had no complications at all, and Eric benefited from my increased libido. I suppose I benefited too. He'd always been quite the lover. After I got a large bump going we had to figure out some new positions, more often than not, we had what I called "spoon sex". It was the most comfortable for me, and my belly didn't get in the way. It was also the perfect angle for multiple orgasms, which Eric had perfected.

I was the luckiest woman on the planet.

I often woke up to find Eric's arm draped over my stomach, and he loved to talk to the baby. The baby reacted to his voice a lot, and I knew he'd be a daddy's boy. We decided to find out the sex of the baby, and when they told us it was a boy we knew just what to name him.

Nicholas Ian Northman.

I hoped that Nine Inch Nails weren't popular when he grew up, but Eric said that at least he had the initials of a good band.

Eric was perfect through the whole pregnancy. He catered to my weird cravings, rubbed my feet when they got swollen, called me beautiful every day. It was wonderful. I tried not to complain through any of it because I knew how lucky I was to even be having this child, and I thanked whoever it was watching over me every day that it was happening.

EPOV

Watching our baby boy grow inside of Sookie was one hell of an experience, and I loved every minute of it—especially the increased libido part. I spent my days making sure Sookie was comfortable and satisfied. I knew I was spoiling her, but the way I saw it she was carrying my baby and doing all the heavy lifting. The least I could do was support her and make sure she knew how much I loved her.

One day near the end of the pregnancy we were grocery shopping and ran into Selah Pumphrey at the store. I spotted her first and tried to direct Sookie away before anything bad happened. We hadn't had sex in a week or so because Sookie couldn't get comfortable enough to relax, so she was really horny on top of being tired and swollen and that would be lethal if she had to talk to Selah.

Unfortunately, Selah spotted us and walked up the aisle waving and with a big smile on her face.

"Sookie Stackhouse? Is that you?" she called out loudly. Sookie stiffened next to me, and then gripped the cart handle tightly.

"Selah, hello," she said without any sincerity, but still with an attempt to smile. "It's actually Sookie Northman now. Eric and I are married."

I smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Jealousy flashed in Selah's eyes before she continued.

"Ah, yeah. I heard that you two got married, but I guess I see why that happened now," she said while eyeing Sookie's stomach.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Jeez Eric, if I knew I just had to get knocked up to trap you we wouldn't have used all those condoms," she said slyly, obviously thinking she was going to cause an issue. I was never gladder than at that moment that I had never actually slept with that woman.

I was still a little nervous about what Sookie would do, but she surprised me when she burst into laughter. She laughed long and hard, and when I saw the look on Selah's face I began laughing too.

"Selah, go try to cause problems somewhere else. I know you never got your nasty hands on Eric, and I know you're just jealous that I got to someone you wanted before you did, again. You're not getting my seconds this time," she said, and then stepped a bit closer. "And just so you know… he's fucking amazing."

With that Sookie began to push the cart away, and I followed with a chuckle, leaving a seething Selah standing behind.

"I love you so much," I said, bending to kiss her on the cheek.

"And now I feel like a cow," she said quickly. "Did you see the way she was looking at me? I'm as big as a house. And now I'm being cliché. I'm sorry. I don't know how you put up with me."

"There's nothing to put up with, Sookie. And you're not as big as a house. You're beautiful, and you're carrying our son," I said, placing my hands on her stomach.

She took a couple of deep breaths, and nodded that she was okay. We quickly finished our shopping and got home so Sookie could take a much-needed nap.

I'd taken to writing while Sookie napped, and was making headway on my next book. The last one had gone over brilliantly, and was a bestseller in no time. Apparently my readers liked that Sven had found the woman of his dreams… literally. They didn't even mind the sci-fi aspect of it. I promised them he'd be even happier in the next book, and he would be, because _I_ was.

Sookie only had a week left until her due date, and we were spending the time putting the final touches on the nursery and stocking it full of diapers. We packed a bag with some clothes and kept it in the car, so we wouldn't forget it when we had to go. Sookie even had the forethought to throw in some bath products and a decent hair dryer. She was great at planning ahead.

I was on edge during that whole last week, jumping up when she made the slightest noise and asking if she was okay all the time. It was annoying the hell out of her and she kept snapping at me. I didn't blame her. We'd had two false alarms with fake contractions, and both times she got pissed off that she didn't progress into labor. She just wanted the little guy to come out. She was tired and swollen, and I hadn't been able to give her an orgasm for almost a month, so I'm sure she was wound up.

Three days past her due date I was woken up from a nap by what I can only describe as a demonic growl. I jumped out of bed and immediately asked what was wrong.

"He won't come out!" she screamed at me while pacing the length of the room.

"He's not ready yet," I said calmly, careful not to use anything she could call a "tone".

"He is too! He's been in there long enough. I don't want to overcook him, he'll be dependent on me for the rest of his life," she ranted.

"Actually, they say that the longer a child is in their mother, the smarter they'll be," I said, trying to coax her out of her frustration. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at me, hands on her back.

"Eric," she began, cold and calculated. "Who's pregnant?"

"You are."

"Who's always right when they're pregnant?"

"You."

"Exactly. At this point, I don't care if he comes out like Forrest Gump! I just want him out," she said, and then the tears started.

Well, fuck me. I was okay with letting her emasculate me in our home because I knew she was stressed beyond belief, and I wasn't going to argue with her while she was like that. I also didn't say anything because she _only_ did it at home, and never in front of anyone. She could hold my balls in her pocket for a short while if it made her feel better. But the crying? I never could handle Sookie crying. I dealt with it, but never handled it. An emotional, pregnant Sookie crying? Hell no.

I wrapped her in my arms and pulled her close.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this," I said as I rocked her from side to side.

"Don't say that," she cried into my chest. "I'm being ridiculous, and I know it."

"No you're not," I assured her, and then she pulled away from me and began pulling at her clothes.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Let's have sex," she said as she struggled to pull her shirt over her head.

"Sweetie, you know I'll never turn sex down, but I don't want to mess anything up right now," I said gently, not wanting her to think I was rejecting her.

"That's bullshit. I'm fine, and if it hurts we'll stop, but I'm horny as hell and sex can induce labor," she said, continuing to strip her clothes off. A couple seconds later she was completely naked. "Do you think you can get it up even though I've exploded since last time?" she asked, and my jaw dropped.

"You're still beautiful to me, and yes I _can_ get it up," I said, and began peeling off my clothes with a sense of purpose. I'd show her that she was still beautiful and that I was most definitely still attracted to her. Fuck, I had to will away erections all the time.

She carefully positioned herself on the bed, and I curled up behind her. I ran my hand down her side and squeezed a healthy portion of her ass while kissing her neck.

"Jesus, Eric, we haven't had sex in a month. I'm ready. Just do it," she barked at me.

"I can't just do it, Sookie. I never could. Just relax," I whispered in her ear. She started to say something so I interrupted her. It was a risk, but I refused to just screw her without any emotional connection. "No talking. If you want me to do this, then I need to do it my way," I said while pressing my erection against her backside.

She moaned, which I took as a green light. I continued to rub and squeeze her butt, and then slowly worked my hand up her back, massaging the tense muscles before finally reaching around and tweaking her sensitive nipples very lightly. I'd learned already not to be rough with them. I barely had to ghost my hand over them to make Sookie shiver in anticipation.

"Please," she groaned out in a much kinder tone than before, so I gave in.

I lifted her leg and placed it over mine, and then positioned myself at just the right spot.

"Tell me to stop if it hurts," I told her seriously, and she nodded her head vigorously.

Slowly, almost painfully so, I slid into her, groaning as her muscles adjusted to me in a way I hadn't felt in a long time. When I was halfway in I stopped and asked her if she was okay.

"Don't stop. It feels so good," she moaned.

I kept going, and soon I was completely inside of her, slowly thrusting and resisting the urge to move faster until she asked for it.

"Are you still good?" I asked, and she nodded, apparently unable to speak. "Do you want me to go faster?"

"Yes," she breathed out, so I increased my speed just a little. "Oh god, I've missed this."

I smirked, and picked up the pace a little bit more. It didn't take long for me to feel myself getting close, and by that point Sookie was moaning loudly with every thrust, so I moved my hand from its resting spot on her thigh and brought it up to her breasts.

"Are you close?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Do you want to come?"

Another nod.

My fingers pinched one of her nipples just enough to feel her pulse around me. She was very close.

"I need you to pinch your other nipple for me," I said, and she immediately brought her hand up to her breast.

"Now," I said, and as we both pinched just hard enough I thrust at just the right angle, causing Sookie to cry out in pleasure as she came hard. While she was still pulsing around me, I thrust just a little bit faster, and then I exploded. My orgasm was long and intense, the result of no sex and a conscience that didn't allow me to masturbate if Sookie wasn't getting pleasure too.

We lay there for a few minutes breathing hard and clutching each other, and then I slowly pulled out and went to the bathroom for a washcloth to clean us up.

"Do you feel better?" I asked Sookie as she lay against the pillows looking dazed.

"Much, much better," she said with a smile. "I'm tired now. I think I'll take a nap."

"Okay," I chuckled and gave her a kiss. "I'll be in my office if you need me."

"Love you," she said softly, and was asleep before I shut the door.

I went into the office to work on my book some more, and a couple of hours flew by without me even realizing it. Feeling a little hungry, I decided to make us something to eat and wake Sookie up with it. I made a couple of sandwiches, but as I was carrying them down the hall I saw Ansel standing in front of the bedroom door. He was whining a little bit and gave me this look, and I just knew. I put the food down on the entertainment center and ran back to the bedroom so fast it felt like I flew.

"Sookie," I called out as I threw the door open.

She was awake and clutching the comforter tightly, her face contorted with discomfort.

"Contractions," she groaned out. "They're still too far apart to go to the hospital."

"Bath?" I asked as I sat on the bed beside her and took her hand. She gripped it tightly and nodded. "I'll be right back," I said, and ran down the stairs to get the tub filling while Ansel stayed with Sookie. I knew it would be easier to get her out of the house through the basement when it was closer to time than it would be through the front. The fewer stairs we had to deal with later, the better.

While the tub was filling, I ran back upstairs and gathered a few towels, bottles of water, and some clothes for Sookie to wear to the hospital. I took them downstairs and shut off the water, then went back for Sookie.

"How far apart?" I asked.

"I haven't had another yet, but I know it's coming. I don't know if I can make it down the stairs if one starts while I'm walking down," she said.

"I'm going to carry you," I told her.

"I weigh too much," she said.

"No, we're not going back to that. You know I can carry you," I said.

She nodded, and reached up to wrap her arms around my neck. I put an arm around her back, and one under her legs and carefully lifted her off the bed. She wasn't too heavy for me, but I was careful as I carried her down the basement steps and lowered her into the tub. Almost as soon as she was in, she gripped my arm as another contraction hit her. I held her hand and breathed with her through it until it was over.

"Okay, I'm timing that one," I said and looked at my watch. "How are you feeling?"

"Intense," she said, and then smiled. "Excited, a little nervous."

"You'll do great," I said as I rubbed her back.

Two hours, and three tub refills later, the contractions were finally close enough together to go to the hospital. I helped Sookie out of the tub and helped her get dressed, then got her out to the car, which I'd parked at the basement door an hour into the bath. We called our families on the way, and asked Sam and Pam if they'd stop by the house to let Ansel out before coming to the hospital. My parents were booking a flight for that night, and Sookie's were already back in town for the birth.

We made it to the hospital in one piece, even though Sookie almost crushed my hand a couple of times on the way there. They admitted her and got her into a birthing room, where we'd be for our entire stay. The nurses hooked Sookie up to all kinds of monitors, and then left us alone. Family was allowed to visit two at a time until we neared the delivery, and Sookie's mother and Pam came in first. They said that Sam and her dad had opted to wait until after the delivery to visit.

Michelle wanted to stay for the delivery, but Sookie made it clear long ago that she just wanted it to be me and her. I was okay with that because I wanted Sookie to be comfortable with who was there, and her mother could put her on edge easily. Pam left after a few minutes, but Michelle stayed until the doctor came in and said it was time.

I was led away by a nurse and shown how to wash my hands thoroughly, and then I was handed a set of scrubs. I'd seen it in the movies of course, but I didn't think they actually made the husbands wear that crap. I quickly pulled them on over my clothes, anxious to get back to Sookie. When I walked back into the room I saw that Sookie looked scared. I gave her a kiss, and brushed the hair out of her face.

"You're going to do fine, sweetie," I told her. "We're going to meet our son."

She smiled weakly, "I can do this, right?"

"Yes, and I'll be here every step of the way," I said, taking her hand.

The delivery lasted twenty minutes, and only ended for me when I heard my son crying for the first time. Sookie had collapsed back onto the bed after her final push, and her entire body was shaking, but she still had a smile on her face. The doctor placed him on Sookie's chest. Sookie held him there and stroked his back for a few moments before they had to take him away.

"Go look," she said softly, her voice hoarse. "Count his fingers and toes."

I kissed her hard on the lips, and whispered softly, "I'm so proud of you, Sookie."

I walked over to the area where the nurses were cleaning him up and watched over their shoulders, careful not to disrupt what they were doing. He was perfect.

"Head full of hair," I announced to Sookie. "Ten toes, ten fingers. He's really long and he's got big feet. I think he's going to be tall like me. He's got your nose and my chin. Your ears. I think he knows who I am."

As soon as I started talking, he opened his eyes and began looking around, like he was trying to find the source of the voice.

"Of course he does, you talked to him enough," she said with a small laugh.

The nurses continued to work on him, cleaning him up and getting his height and weight, and then they finally swaddled him in a blanket and carried him over to Sookie.

SPOV

I was so happy watching Eric as he stood over the nurses working on our son and told me about him. I hardly noticed that the doctor was still working on me, and vaguely hoped that she wasn't stitching me up even though it certainly felt like I'd need it. After a few more minutes my feet were removed from the stirrups and I was covered with a blanket. I felt cold and was shivering, but I assumed it was from the shock of something major having just happened to my body.

All the pain and tiredness left my body when a nurse brought my son to me and placed him back in my arms. I had loved him before I'd even met him, but after laying eyes on him for the first time I knew I would do anything for him. He was the perfect mix of Eric and me. His eyes were Eric's. We both had blue eyes, but these were Eric's through and through. He would be a heartbreaker; that was for sure.

"Wow," I said as I felt Eric lean over me. "He looks just like us."

"Yes he does," he said softly, and then kissed my temple.

Then my parents, Sam, and Pam came in to see us. My mother burst into tears when she saw Nicholas, and my father rolled his eyes at her. When Sam held him Pam looked on with quite the interesting look on her face. I'd have to talk to her about that soon. Eventually he was passed back to Eric, and I about melted. Then I fell asleep.

I woke up again some time later when I heard voices, and saw that Niall and Emma had arrived. Niall was holding Nicholas while Emma looked on, commenting on how handsome he was. I stayed awake long enough to thank them for coming, and then I passed out again.

I remember nurses coming in and helping me feed Nicholas every two hours, but I was pretty out of it and can't really remember details. At some point I heard Eric ask if I was okay. A nurse told him I was just exhausted and needed to rest. There was one point when a nurse asked if we wanted her to take Nicholas to the nursery so that Eric could get some sleep too, but he refused. I wanted to wake up and help him, to see our son, but I couldn't stay awake for very long.

When I finally woke up and felt like I could stay awake there was sunshine spilling into the room through the blinds. I sat up in the bed, and glanced around the room. Eric was in the recliner with our son on his chest, and they were both sleeping. Nicholas's hands were folded up under him, and Eric's huge hand was covering his bottom and lower back. I think I melted a bit more as I watched my son rise and fall with every breath my husband took. I smiled at the sight and wished I had my camera with me. The way the sun was hitting them was perfect.

Apparently, Niall thought ahead because his camera was sitting on the stand next to my bed. I picked it up with a smile and took a few shots, but the sounds from the camera woke Eric up. He blinked a few times and then smiled at me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, standing up and gently placing Nicholas in his hospital bassinet.

"Less tired," I said as I scooted over on the bed so he would lie down next to me. "I also need a shower before anyone comes to visit today."

He chuckled as he lay down beside me and pulled me into his arms. "I think they're all coming back soon. Your mother didn't want to leave."

"He's quite the hit isn't he?"

"He is. Every last one of them is wrapped around his tiny fingers already."

"Has he been okay? What about diapers, are you already doing that? Have you been keeping track?" I couldn't stop asking questions.

"He's fine. I think I've changed three diapers now, and yes, I've been keeping track," he said proudly and I smiled as I snuggled into his chest.

"He's going to be just like you isn't he?"

"I think he's going to be a fair mix of both of us, but I do hope he's devilishly good-looking like me."

"And I'll make sure he treats women with kindness and respect, so none of that father-son man talk when he gets old enough," I said and Eric let out a laugh.

Our little snuggle fest was interrupted when a nurse entered the room to check on me. She helped me out of the bed and into the bathroom, and said my sheets would be changed while I was in the shower. I thanked her and she left so I could get cleaned up. That shower felt like the best one I'd ever had, and I was really thankful that I had packed my own shampoo.

When I emerged from the bathroom, Eric was sitting on the freshly made bed with a very awake Nicholas.

"I think someone misses you," he said.

I sat down in the rocking chair in the corner of the room and Eric brought him over to me, carefully placing him in my arms before taking a seat in the recliner to watch us. My son was staring up at me with wide eyes, like he was trying to figure me out.

"Hello, Nicholas," I said, and his eyes widened even more as he recognized my voice. "Mommy missed you very much."

I rocked him for about thirty minutes before he began crying. His diaper was dry, so I touched my finger to his lips and he immediately tried to suck on it.

"Hungry, are you?" I asked. "Eric, can you take him for a second?"

Eric took him and rubbed his back while I grabbed a blanket and lifted my shirt. He handed him back to me and I positioned him. It was the first time I was doing it by myself, and at that moment I cursed all the movies I had seen where it looked like the easiest thing ever. It took me about five minutes to get him to latch on, but he finally did. It was a strange feeling, but a good one.

Eric grinned.

"What?" I asked.

"He's a boob man," he said, and if he had been closer and I wasn't holding our newborn I would have smacked him. I settled for a look. "What? I'm a boob man too. He gets it from me."

I decided to let go and laugh with him. Eric and I stared at each other as I fed our son, and I took a moment to thank whomever, or whatever, caused us to have our dreams. If I'd never met Eric in my dreams and gotten to know him, then I have no doubt that we wouldn't be married and just had our first child. It seemed crazy to anyone we told that we got married after just a few months, but we'd been through so much together in such a short amount of time and that, coupled with the dreams, made it perfect. We truly _knew_ each other before we'd even met, and now I was happier than I'd ever been.

* * *

***sniffles***

**That there was the last full chapter, my loves. Just the epilogue left now. **

**I want to thank Sluggysmom for giving this story it's 1000th review! *hugs* It's been almost a year since I started this story, and it's been a long, fun ride. I can hardly believe the amount of love this story still gets. Thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, and favorited along the way, and also for not giving up on me. I never would have had the courage to continue or even complete this if it weren't for you. **

**Lots of gratitude to my beta FDM! She fixed all my mistakes, and schooled me on all things involved in the birthing process. Seriously, all you mothers would have shot me if it was left the way it was before, lol. **


	34. Chapter 34

**Epilogue**

Nicholas' crying stirred me from my sleep. Sookie was still fast asleep in my arms, so I quickly, and carefully slipped out of bed to take care of him before she woke up. I walked into the nursery and peeked into the crib where we let him sleep during the day. At night, he slept in a bassinet in our bedroom. As soon as he saw me, he calmed down, and his cries subsided.

"Hey little guy," I cooed as I gently picked him up. "What's wrong?"

He gave a little hiccup, and then smiled. That was his first smile. I beamed at him, and then whispered, "Let's keep that between us, okay? I think Mommy wants your first smile."

I checked his diaper, and it didn't need to be changed. It hadn't been long since he'd eaten, so I assumed he just wanted some attention. I sat in the rocking chair with him for a bit and gently hummed to him until he began to fall asleep again. When he was out, I realized that I didn't want to put him back in his crib. He looked so peaceful sleeping in my arms and, truth be told, I didn't want to stop holding him. I got up out of the rocker, and sat in the glider instead. I placed him on my chest with his ear just over my heart, and soon I was asleep too.

When he woke up again he had a dirty diaper, so I changed him. Sookie used to tease me while she was pregnant about never wanting to change his diapers, but I found that I really didn't have a problem with it. I liked my alone time with my son. Sookie had a lot of maternal bonding time with him while I felt like a third wheel, so I was taking what I could get anywhere I could.

It had been about an hour since he first woke up, so I took him back into our bedroom where Sookie was still fast asleep. I sat down on the bed with my back against the headboard, and held my son out in front of me. I still couldn't believe we'd actually made something so perfect. He had a head full of blonde hair, and though he was a good mix of the two of us, his eyes were all Sookie's. She claimed they were my eyes, but I disagreed. I couldn't stop being amazed with how tiny he was. I'd never been around babies growing up, or even in my adulthood, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I took to my own quickly though. It was instinct knowing how to hold him, how to soothe him.

Sookie stirred a bit next to me, and then slowly sat up.

"Is he hungry?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.

"Not yet. I think he just wants to spend time with us. He likes being close."

Sookie sat up next to me, and laid her head on my shoulder. Her hand stretched out and her thumb brushed Nicolas' tiny cheek. He looked at her, and then he smiled.

"Oh my god, Eric! His first smile! Oh, it's so cute," she cooed at him.

"Yes it is," I said, and then added, "His first smile was for his mama."

"Oh, don't be sad. Maybe his first word will be Daddy."

I smirked internally, but let Sookie have her moment. My arms were getting a bit tired, so I laid him down between us on the bed, and we both shifted to lie down on either side of him. Nicholas cooed and gurgled as we played with him, and everything just felt so perfect. I was married to the woman of my dreams, literally, and we made a baby together, a perfect son, even though it wasn't supposed to be possible.

Sookie had come into my life, and made it worth living. I had been in a deep, dark hole, whether I wanted to admit it at the time or not. When I began having the dreams, it was like I was seeing something good and pure for the first time in years. Sookie was like my sunshine, and when we found each other I knew my life could only get better. She was my soul mate, my other half, and then we had Nicholas, our son. I never believed I would be lucky enough to find a woman like Sookie, marry her, and have a child with her, but it happened.

There were moments when I feared I was still dreaming, and would wake up in that dark hole, my dreams just karma's way of showing me what I wanted most, but didn't deserve, and would never have. It was those moments that I held onto Sookie tighter, and it was those moments when I swore she could read my mind, because she would always assure me that everything was real.

"Eric, it's real," Sookie said, breaking me from my thoughts. The woman could tell what I was thinking just from looking at me. "This isn't a dream. We'll always be here, we'll always be together."

I smiled, and leaned forward for a kiss. Our lips met over Nicholas, who gurgled again, causing us to break apart laughing.

"You promise?" I asked.

"Yes. Three times, in fact," she smiled. "There's no getting rid of me now."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

FIN

* * *

**That's all there is. There isn't any more. *wipes tear from eye***

**Well, that's kind of a lie. I do plan on writing a one-shot or two for this little family in the future. I think I'd like to see what happens in their lives with their son. **

**I started this story almost a year ago as part of a ficlet game in the Sookieverse. Those wonderful ladies there encouraged me to keep writing it and to turn it into a story. I listened to them, and found myself paired with the Queen of angst herself as my beta to write this fluff-filled happy story. I like to think that my writing has come a long way since I began this, and I certainly hope everyone else feels the same because, let's be honest, it was downright awful in the beginning. I want to thank each and every one of the participants in the forum, then and now. If it weren't for your support and your love, I probably wouldn't have had the courage to write at all. **

**Thank you to my readers, every last one of you, even the ones who have always been too shy to review. If not for all of you, I wouldn't have had the confidence to continue writing. Thank you for being patient with me in my times of writers block, and for sticking with me to the end. I truly hope I have not disappointed you. **

**Lastly, thank you to FarDareisMai2, my beta. You held my hand from the very beginning and whipped my grammar into shape. You fixed my mistakes without complaint, and helped me when I had questions. Hell, you even slapped some sense into me when I got too smushy with these two. You encouraged me to write, and made me want to be better. I will always aspire to be as good as you, and though I know I never will be, I'll also never stop trying. **

**So that's all. I look forward to seeing what everyone thought :-)**


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